We’ve been working with a video company to produce some video content for news websites and get media and analysts’ questions answered in video format. It’s great for the interviewer as their news story comes to life, and great for our clients as they get content they can spread virally which is more interesting than a standard update.
Here are links to a couple of the videos we pitched in, secured questions for, organised filming and supplied to Sales Pro in the UK and SMB Group in the US.
Gosh end of the year already! 2009 has certainly been one of the most interesting and challenging years for our tech PR agency.
With client marketing budgets under pressure at the beginning of the year as the recession really began to bite, coupled with the growing interest and use of social media, we started to update the services that we provide to clients, so that we could ensure the best use of budget.
Our presence as a technology PR agency on search engines is certainly improving and that understanding is helping us to gain more clients and help our clients with basic SEO activity and helps us to guide our clients through the social media landscape.
Media coverage, both on and offline, of course plays an important part in raising awareness of our clients’ products and services, so here’s a tiny weeny sample of the coverage we have generated for our clients this year:
1. Application platform company - Financial Times
2. Online security company – Financial Times, page 3 piece on online anonymity
3. Online security company – Sky TV
4. Web conferencing company – Daily Telegraph
5. Web conferencing company – BBC Click
6. Open source company – Computer Weekly
7. Management consultancy – Computing
8. Mobile marketing company – Data Strategy
9. Open source company – ZDNet
10. Regional IT project – Birmingham Post
Loving all things Social media, I attended a Social media workshop run by the National Business to Business Centre, an organisation which helps West Midlands SMEs benefit from e-business. The workshop was very interesting in terms of new tools introduced, the importance of analysis, determining which tool is best for a company and what is critical to us…..that if a company doesn’t have time to manage a social media campaign, it really isn’t worth setting up say a Twitter page or Facebook group.
Some SMEs on the workshop complained that indeed they just didn’t have the time to manage a social media campaign and this is really where a PR agency can help. For instance, we run social media activity for our clients including Twitter and Linkedin campaigns. We also provide ideas and conduct research for blog posts, which can help our clients cut the time needed to post interesting, original and relevant comment.
Finally, I learnt that is okay not to have a social media campaign and as one of the presenters said, if you know who your targets are and how to contact them, pick up the phone, don’t spend time Tweeting hoping that they will call you off the back of that. If you have a client base that you can’t reach via direct sales due to size, not knowing exactly who they are or location, then social media should be part of a comprehensive marketing communications plan.
Long time no blog. September certainly has been a busy month.
We got shortlisted for the CIPR PRide award for our work for the ICT Cluster. Our work is based on traditional media, social media and event support.
We have finished creating a new identity for an electronics design conusultancy and started PR work for them highlighting their presence at the Embedded systems conference next week. Our client’s new website and PR activity is leading to an increase in the amount of search and direct traffic they receive. Actually, we are using SEO techniques that we are implementing on own own site to gain Google page one rankings for terms such as PR agency and technology PR agency.
We’ve also been working across the UK and US to announce the news of fg microtec providing its fixed mobile convergence client technology to Siemens.
Oh and we worked to launch open source consultancy credativ’s US office.
A bit of pro Bono for a friend working in a lab that helps develop vaccines and has just got some seriously significant funding was something different and made us all feel good.
Along with this we’ve been generating awareness for our clients through their work with customers, so it’s been a hectic September and we’re all feeling very positive about the rest of the year.
Our PR agency wrote the following article for the ICT cluster newsletter. It’s about the benefits of entering awards for SMEs.
One of the most effective ways of achieving respect in the business community is through successfully winning awards. Gaining a credible third party endorsement of a product, service or company can help increase sales, enhance reputation and generate growth. An award win can also be an incredible morale boost especially in times of recession.
Award selection and entry does, however, require some time and effort but the ensuing rewards can be quite considerable.
Why enter?
Winning a prestigious honour, such as an ICT Cluster Excellence Award, (disclosure: our technology PR agency promotes these), is beneficial on many levels. It’s motivational to all employees, generates interest and awareness and, by providing an independent acknowledgement of the value of a product or service, offers reassurance to potential customers. For start-ups and SMEs this boost to sales and marketing efforts can be priceless. Many award schemes also offer invaluable feedback to entrants.
In terms of supporting a company’s sales activity, a recent survey* indicated that 82% of senior business people are influenced by awards when buying products and services. 76% also agreed with the statement “awards are important for generating business or improving the value of the brand.”
Finally, a lot of marketing mileage can be gained from an award…it should appear on the website, company brochures, recruitment material and become a real marketing asset.
What schemes?
One of the biggest misconceptions about awards is that only big companies will win. In fact there are numerous industry and business schemes encompassing companies of all sizes. Awards are often run by magazines, newspapers, companies, professional institutes, such as the British Computer Society, or government schemes. Some internet research should bring up a raft of opportunities. Alternatively, by subscribing to an awards alerts service, companies can automatically be alerted as relevant schemes are announced. As a guideline there are general IT industry awards (UK IT Industry Awards) – ah shame just closed!, regional IT industry awards 2009 ICT Excellence Awards, specialist sector and vertical market sector awards, such as information security, retail and finance.
In addition to these, there are national and regional business awards plus numerous small business schemes such as British Small Business Champions.
There’s nothing to stop companies entering more than one scheme as successful participants of the ICT Cluster Awards (we promote these) have demonstrated. Rapide Communication, who were Overall Champions in 2008, went on to be National winners of the Chamber Awards 2008 and were finalists in the 2009 National Business Awards. Data Driven Logistics, who achieved Best Innovative Product also won the Sentinel Business Awards Innovation Category and were a Finalist and selected Medallist in the British Computer Society (BCS) Industry Awards.
How to maximise your chances
With more companies vying for award recognition, the competition is getting fierce. Preparation is key. It may sound obvious but ensure you pick the right category to suit your business and check whether you’re eligible for more than one category – since the more relevant categories you enter the more chance of success. Secondly, read the entry criteria carefully as there may be limitations such as the product launch date, location or company size. If you can’t meet the conditions, there’s no point in entering.
You will need to demonstrate why you deserve to win and evidence is crucial. Effective examples of this are: customer endorsements, which illustrate the business benefits of the product; sales figures; industry partnerships; and strong growth. Again, if the proof isn’t there, reconsider whether you want to enter. Take care drafting the award entry and ensure you’ve taken advantage of any scope for submitting supporting materials. It often helps to have an objective person read through your submission to get an unbiased opinion and ensure it reflects your achievements accurately.
When writing the award, remember to keep it factual and punchy, stick to the word count and avoid waffle.
ICT Excellence Awards
We work providing PR services for the West Midlands ICT Cluster, so heres a plug for the annual ICT Excellence awards. This year’s entry deadline is 28 September. The free to enter technology awards are designed to recognise the talents and achievements of the growing ICT (Information Communication Technology) sector. They will be announced and presented during an evening reception following the annual West Midlands ICT Cluster Conference on Tuesday 10th November 2009, at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull. This year’s inspirational theme for the awards and conference is ‘Competing in the New World – Innovate your way to success’.
The open entry categories in this year’s awards comprise ICT Excellence Award for Best Innovative Product, Best Innovative Service, Best Added Value Product, Best Added Value Service, Best Added Value Project, Best Knowledge Transfer Project and Most Improved Business, with an overall champion selected from the winners of each of the seven categories receiving £2,000.
For 2009 the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) are rewarding an additional open entry category. The Special Award – High Growth Potential Business 2009 category recognises the most innovative/high growth potential business and will secure the winner the opportunity for advice and expertise from the TSB and partners.
Everybody appreciates recognition for their efforts whether it’s from customers, peers or the industry at large. Awards are a relatively low-cost, and sometimes free, means of putting your company on the map. Demonstrate your pride in your company and employees’ achievements; the potential rewards are significant.
* Awards: vanity or sanity? – Survey conducted by Shape-the-future and Boost Marketing in October 2008.
Becky Boyd, from MediaFirst PR in Atlanta, US has written an interesting article on how cutting marketing staff may be the first thing businesses do in a down economy, but it’s not always the smartest. You need to keep the buzz going! So outsource your PR to a boutique firm who runs lean, but smart.
Here’s the article:
Early on, companies tend to cut marketing communications staff, often a little too deeply. Then they realize that there’s still a lot of work that needs to get done to maintain or establish a market presence. Public relations and other marketing services are essential to creating awareness, connecting with customers, building brands and driving sales.
One key point of a recent survey from Aberdeen, mentions that in previous downturns, the firms that learned to market smarter have fared better than those that decreased their marketing budgets. Plus, after the economy bounced back, those firms that marketed during the downturn did better profitably. So, keep on generating the buzz!
If you are a start-up business or small to medium-sized company that is growing and running with a tight budget, oftentimes, it is best to outsource your PR to a boutique PR firm who eliminates the traditional, large agency inefficiencies by running lean, fast, and smart! No more retaining a “brand name” PR agency with a posh downtown address. No more paying for the name of a CEO who doesn’t work directly on your account, and who typically hasn’t contacted a reporter about a client in years.
Here are some tips to finding the perfect PR team:
* Make sure that your agency has a conceptual understanding of your company, the technology and your marketplace—but don’t look for a clone of yourself. Can they communicate with your target audiences? Their business acumen and industry experience should compliment your goals.
* Choose an agency that has experience in your industry, such as supply chain or healthcare. You hardly have the time to teach the agency about your products, let alone the industry and the issues/challenges facing that industry.
* Location, location, location is out: You want to pay for results, not the view from your agency’s office.
* Agencies love to drop names of contacts, but these may not be the right reporters, editors and analysts for your company. With downsizing and media mergers, journalists change jobs and beats frequently. Experienced pros develop new relationships as needed.
* Ask what they’ve accomplished for clients that are about your size and budget. The people showing you these results should be the same people who will do the actual work on your account.
* Chemistry counts—you’ll have regular contact with your agency. Nobody will ever provide a bad reference, so trust your gut instinct. Marketing communications is an investment. Selecting a source that matches your company’s culture and personality is likely to give you the best return.
* Make sure they’re not just a recent victim of downsizing. Beware of someone taking on project work until a job offer comes along, or you risk work stopping in the middle of your project.
We are noticing an increase in the number of CVs and speculative letters that we are getting for jobs.
There’s a mixed bag of people who have been made redundant and those who want to move to an agency, either from in-house or from another agency.
A major problem I have with a lot of CVs is that the writers haven’t even bothered to read our website. We are a technology PR agency, so even a passing reference to technology would show that the CV or letter isn’t just a copy and paste job.
It’s tough out there at the moment for everyone, so if anyone wants to move over to the tech PR sector (can apply to others too), then here are a few simple tips:
1. Know about technology, you don’t have to be an expert, but show a desire to work with gadgets, software, shiny things and not so shiny but very important technologies
2. Read the website of the company that you are pitching to
3. Read their clients’ website’s news sections to see what coverage they have generated
4. Read their blogs, twitter feeds, facebook groups etc and follow them if you are serious about working there
5. Find out about their culture – we are a virtual PR agency, so would probably not suit young graduates
6. Why not give them a call before sending in the CV. Get some tips on how they want to hear from you.
There will be more and I’ll add some later, but feel free to add your own.
We asked Nadine, who works as our account administration, to let you know what it’s like working for us.
“My time at Vitis has been one full of firsts. It was my first real experience of working within public relations, the first time I have worked from home and the first time I’ve worked in such an interactive way. Working within the field of technology and representing companies offering modern developments in this area is very exciting, not least because we are the first to sample the products.
The most appealing aspect of the job has been the great variety in the tasks I have been set and looking forward to opening my inbox or IM to see what jobs I need to do. Because of the interactive nature in which Vitis operates we can offer specialised PR services to clients in any location, from Birmingham to Germany and this is something I have found fascinating.
The advantage of working in a smaller team is that things get done, there’s no question of who to turn to for support and the advantage of an interactive team is that the support is always just a click away.
For an introduction into the world of PR, working for Vitis has been brilliant. The nature of the clients keeps things relevant and exciting, and each new contract brings new knowledge and the satisfaction of acquiring new technology before everyone else. The experience of the team has meant that every question gets answered and getting advice is never too much of a problem. I enjoy the freedom that working from home allows and look forward to more interesting clients!”
credativ has just announced that it joined the Linux Foundation.
We wrote and distributed and sold in the news to targeted media. We also arranged a face to face meeting with a leading open source journalist who we hope to provide more stories to in the future. Here are afew of the sites that ran the news:
Netlink IT and 4Mation IT are a couple of Birmingham companies that have recently been certified with the UK’s IT Quality Standard.
We secured this article in the Birmingham Post to promote Accredit and the two companys’ achievements:
Certification of quality for brothers’ IT businesses
May 1 2009 by Jon Griffin, Birmingham Post
Brothers Richard and Paul Tubb have notched up twin successes – after achieving the Accredit UK certification for their IT businesses Netlink IT and 4mation IT.
Both brothers say they started their technology businesses out of a desire to change the perception that IT providers are ‘cheap and cheerful’ and not necessarily highly professional.
Being certified by the independent Accredit UK body further underlines their commitment to quality, they say.
Richard, 32, started his business as he wanted to provide independent IT support and consultancy to small businesses in Birmingham and beyond, and Paul, 29, launched 4mation IT out of a desire to provide businesses with professional bespoke software solutions.
Richard is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and Paul heads up a team of qualified IT professionals.
A growing business, Netlink IT recently won a major project to upgrade a client’s infrastructure to Microsoft’s Small Business Server 2008, and successfully implemented a CRM package to a multi-national client in the manufacturing sector.
Richard Tubb, managing director of Netlink IT and author of Tubblog, ‘the Ramblings of an ICT Consultant,’ said: “The Accredit certification provided us with a framework to achieve efficiency and systematically incorporate best practices, which we’d previously been struggling to implement, into our business.”
Paul said there were “two main reasons” why 4mation IT decided to take part in the Accredit UK certification.
“The first reason was by working through the certification, it made us think about the way we operate and interact with our customers. It enabled us to identify our strengths and weaknesses and reinforced that our current procedures were largely correct.
“The second reason was so we could prove to ourselves and to other businesses out there, that a small company like 4mation IT can offer a high level of service and professionalism despite our size.”
