2021 WEB AWARD FOR
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
in Web Development for Métis Crossing.
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA CAN HELP IMPROVE PUBLIC RELATIONS OF YOUR INSTITUTION
Christina Pilarski • May 15, 2020
Institutions
When considering social media and public relations for your institution, the outputs may seem one in the same, but this is not necessarily the case even though it is easy to get all the elements of online branding intertwined.
In short – think of social media as your medium and public relations as your message. What do we mean? Let’s break it down.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media refers to your social platforms and your activities on social media.
Visuals
Your Institutions presence on social media presents many opportunities for your institution and brand. Social media is, in most cases, quite visual; meaning that social platforms allow you to show off your brand’s personality in ways that are easily digestible for your viewing audience. While it is important to stay polished and curated in order to stand out, social media also allows you to give your audience a behind the scenes glimpse into the day to day operations and goings on of your institution and brand. This builds loyalty and support – it humanizes your company’s personality.
Audiences
Something else that is important to consider is that each social media platform comes with its own set of target audiences. It is important for you to understand who and what platform your intended audiences is most likely to be using. Are you trying to reach thought leaders or stakeholders associated with your institution? Or are you trying to navigate the aesthetics of Instagram to reach millennials? Your target audience will determine the best platforms to use.
Conversations
Did you know that communication is defined as two-parties having a common understanding? Social media is all about that – it’s about being social. Social allows you to engage with your followers or audience and have a two-way conversation. This means more reach, more engagement and the more your audience is going to notice your brand.
You may be wondering how you will engage and what will you engage about on social media. Social media conversations happen on and off your social media accounts. Many conversations might start by your brand reaching out directly and becoming a part of conversations. Other conversations will start because of the content you have posted directly. The aim of both is to get more followers engaging with your organic content.
So, what is your organic content? This is where public relations can begin. Social media is where you can show, tell, and share your PR efforts - your PR activities become part of your content bank.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Public relations are what you do to build relationships with your community. The relationships most important to your company might be focused around the communities where you operate, your position in the broader industry.
Campaigns
Getting the word out about your brand or institution is essential – and many may think that is the role of social media. Social media is the vehicle – and PR becomes the driver (and maybe a passenger or two as well – depending on how many campaigns you have in market at a time). Your PR campaigns tell the story of your institution, its milestones, and lets your target audiences know what makes you different.
Campaigns can be complex with several tactics or can be simple with only one or two communications tactics. Campaigns may also last for a fixed amount of time or might be a continuous campaign that is on-going. A new product launch might be a campaign with several tactics that lasts for a few months. A brand awareness campaign might have only a few key tactics, but it will be something you always have in market.
So, what are a few key tools for your public relations toolbox?
Media Relations
A major component of public relations campaigns is media relations. Your media coverage should be shared on social media and conversations about the issue you discuss in your coverage can spark conversation with your followers.
Community Events
Public relations may be more than media relations and media coverage. Public relations can be being out and attending community events. A community event can be something structured like an annual BBQ or show that the community hosts that you can participate in and have a presence at with a booth or as a speaker. Your company could host its own community event ensuring community influencers are in attendance. A community event can even be about facilitating conversations between important groups of people and your audiences. Or, finally a community event could be about sharing a major announcement.
The event should be shared through social media channels – photos, videos, content from the event you are participating in is excellent coverage.
Face to Face
Something that makes public relations different than social media is the face to face contact that you’re able to have. Your efforts to be a good neighbour and keep people informed will be seen first-hand, from your elected officials to the guy next door.
A major tool in your public relations toolbox is keeping people informed in ways that show you care and ways that are memorable. From letters in the mail to billboards, or from social media posts to marketing materials.
CIPR Communications can help with your social media & public relations
Understanding how and when to use public relations campaigns, and how to amplify those efforts through social media is essential to building your brand in a competitive marketing environment. Want to chat through your current PR efforts? Or have an expert audit your business’ social media channels? Get in touch with us – we’re happy to help.
CIPR Communications, Certified Flourishing Coaching and Rumble Boxing Studio have teamed up to participate in the Canadian Mental Health Association's Energize Don't Hide event. CALGARY, AB, April 28, 2022 /CNW/ - Calgary businesses CIPR Communications, Certified Flourishing Coaching and Rumble Boxing Studio have teamed up to participate in the Canadian Mental Health Association's (CMHA Calgary) Energize Don't Hide event to raise awareness about mental health, build connection and community, and fundraise for the ongoing delivery and expansion of CHMA Calgary programs. These local companies are committed to helping the Canadian Mental Health Association's Energize Don't Hide Calgary campaign and are encouraging other businesses to participate through incentives and prizes. The first two businesses that contact Peter Pilarski ( peter@ciprcommunications.com ) to join Energize Don't Hide as a result of this challenge will receive a free Digital Competitive Analysis Report from CIPR Communications. Certified Flourishing Coaching will also provide complimentary Life Coach Training and Certification to the first individual or solopreneur who contacts Abe Brown ( abe@momentumcoach.ca ) to sign up a team. Additionally, Rumble Boxing Studio has agreed to provide $100 Personal Training Gift Certificates for a First Free Session, a Free Heavy Bag Class and Complimentary Group Bookings to all companies that participate in Energize Don't Hide. "We know that physical activity and a sense of belonging to a community can help to improve mental health," said CIPR Communications Vice President Peter Pilarski. "We wanted to take advantage of Energize Don't Hide Calgary to bring local businesses together to raise awareness, lift our collective spirits, raise some money for CHMA Calgary and have some fun while we are at it." In addition to challenging other businesses and individuals to participate in Energize Don't Hide, CIPR Communications invites registered teams to join their team every Friday for a weekly group training or outdoor fitness session, starting with a private group heavy bag session at Rumble Boxing Studio 17 AVE on Friday, May 6th at 1:30 PM. Interested participants can email peter@ciprcommunications.com to take part. "We are thrilled to host the CIPR Communications Team and anyone who joins them at Rumble Boxing Studio on May 6th," said Kealan Bailey, founding trainer at Rumble Boxing Studio. "While getting any kind of exercise is great for mental health, participating in group fitness adds a sense of community that enhances the experience and punching a heavy bag has many therapeutic benefits." Energize Don't Hide runs from May 2 to June 30. During this time participants are challenged to complete 3,300 minutes of activity and teams are challenged to complete 33,000 minutes of activity while raising money for CHMA Calgary's mental health programs. For more information, visit the Energize Don't Hide website. About Certified Flourishing Coaching The Certified Flourishing Coach Model™ is evidence-based and practitioner focused, meaning that it is based on science and psychology. "Evidence-based" describes an approach to medicine, education, and other disciplines that emphasizes the practical application of the findings of the best available current research. Essentially, it means that a concept or practice is supported by a large amount of scientific research. So, when we describe the Flourishing Coaching Model™ as evidence-based, we mean that we are taking the best available current research around people, change, and specifically how people flourish, and practically applying it with a coaching lens. About Rumble Boxing Studio Rumble offers a one-of-a-kind badass fitness experience, with a fight club meets nightclub vibe. We bring together a high-intensity boxing workout with the powerful platform of group fitness. We are more than just fitness; we are a community. All experience levels are welcome.
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Core Web Vitals: What it Means and How to Measure Them On Your Website While we saw some important changes in 2021 and we expect to see more over the course of 2022, the tried-and-true digital marketing practices that have worked in the past will continue to serve you well into the future. Provide a great user experience on your website pages Back in May 2021, Google introduced its Core Web Vitals update, which rolled out over the summer months. This update is all about improving page experience signals that measure how users perceive the experience of interacting with a web page. At the end of the day, Google is looking to provide the best answers to people’s questions while at the same time providing a great user experience – in its essence, it really is that simple. Simple as it may be, however, it’s not always that easy to achieve!
What are the Benefits of a Landing Page? Landing pages provide a vital touchpoint with you and potential customers, serving as the initial brand interaction through engaging content with an opportunity to generate a lead through a form fill. Here are some key benefits to creating an audience-specific landing page for your next marketing campaign: - Generate leads and conversions - Provide valuable insights into your target audience(s) - Help grow your newsletter subscriber list - They support your business goals through measurable metrics - Increase brand value What types of content does a landing page offer? A good landing page should have a clear message, nurture leads with appropriate content, and the most important, have a call-to-action awareness or consideration form. Here are a few types of content offers you can add to your landing page to convert users into leads: eBooks and whitepapers Event Registration and Webinars Email Newsletter subscriptions Free trials As you begin exploring a landing page for your business, there are a few additional things to consider. Don’t distract your user from the end goal. Limit any unnecessary content that would shift focus from filling your form out. And most importantly, think about how valuable your offer is. The more valuable, the more engaging it will be for the user. Want to take your marketing campaign to the next level? Book a meeting with one our experts today.
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CIPR Communications Wins Two Web Marketing Association WebAwards in 2021. For Website Development in Collaboration with Indigenous Clients in the Tourism Sector
Web development is perhaps the central point of any long-term digital marketing strategy. Read this introduction to all you need to know about web design.
Website quality audits are useful, data-driven tools that help you to assess and improve your website’s performance. Learn more about them here.
