News and advice from the team at Last Word
As a business, how do you know your marketing and public relations contractors are working hard to get results for you rather than draining your hard-earned cash?
The answer is measuring return on investment.
Good communications should be considered as an investment. If you do a good job of telling people the benefits of what you have to offer, the results should bring reward.
The future-focussed Work in Progress conference took place in Wellington earlier this week, covering the impact new technological and societal changes have on the way we communicate, and how businesses can future-proof themselves for change.
Underestimate the power of strategic communications at your peril. Whether you’re running major events, creating a brand, or looking to build a social media audience, a coherent strategy can keep your messaging consistent, ensure everyone is focussed on the task at hand, and maximise your return on investment.
Here are the basics for developing a communications or marketing strategy. Work them into your next project and see how taking the time to set your strategy helps you reap the rewards of good planning.
We have produced a media opportunities cheat sheet to provide inspiration for those of you looking to share your story with the media.
Feel free to download and use the handy tips in this cheat sheet. Why not pin it to your wall or keep it on your desk for when opportunities to reach out to media arise?
Getting new clients takes a lot of time and effort, as any business knows. So it pays to keep your existing customers happy and coming back for more.
Here are a few ideas to keep your customers engaged and to help ensure you stay at the forefront of their minds.
Tell us something exciting your business is doing and be in to win our help writing and distributing a media release taking your story to the New Zealand media!
Whether you are involved in exciting events, have brought a product to market or have an inspiring story to tell, we're here to help.
Most people won’t tell you this, but there’s one sure-fire way to ensure your story makes it into the media. And it hasn’t got anything to do with how well written your media release is, or the strength of the accompanying photo.
The secret recipe is having something newsworthy to say. That may sound obvious, but as someone who has been on both sides of the fence – sending media releases on behalf of clients and being pitched to as a journalist – I assure you many fail this important test.
Mastering the art of search engine optimisation (SEO) can be a steep learning curve. There are countless theories on how to make sure your website ranks highly when people search for relevant terms online, but while some SEO strategies are on the money, others are so far wrong that they can end up harming your business.
Fortunately, there are some tried and true basics you can use to improve the visibility of your website in online searches. I thought I’d share a few SEO basics learnt from experience (and hours of reading).
So you’ve decided to start your own business? For most of us who make the decision to work for ourselves, it’s an exciting if somewhat daunting proposition. There are many things to consider before you take the leap.
The first thing is that you really need to do something you love. As with any creative project, there is little point taking risks if you’re not investing in something you believe in, wholeheartedly
Part of what’s involved in owning a company is trying to gauge what the future holds and what you might need to do to stay in business. And that’s not always easy. Integrating complex and swiftly changing trends into your business strategy can be hugely challenging.
It is, however, a necessary process. Some of the questions you will want to answer include the impact of demographic change on your customer base, as well as the impact of new technologies and future economic trends, both at home and globally.
Good writing is one of the hardest things to get right. And in our digital age, it is gradually becoming a precious commodity, not dissimilar to the skills required to handcraft a beautiful piece of furniture.
Good writing goes further than the ability to string words together, or insert a comma in the right place. It is about taking your reader on a journey, by creating a story they will believe and immerse themselves in, from beginning to end.
As a communicator, you might already know what strategies work best with your clients, where your strengths lie, and where you need to channel your energy.
But you’re probably also keeping your ear to the ground and gauging what developments are impacting your sector. Staying on top of your game and ahead of others is crucial in a field that is both crowded and competitive.
Here are a few trends that will shape communications in 2017.
