This is a question asked by many prospects who want our sales-focused branding, market consulting, and PR services:
“How much does PR cost?”
That depends on your answer to this question:
“Would you hire a salesperson on Groupon?”
If “Yes,” then scroll down to the subhead “Order & Chaos.” This is for you.
If your answer is, “No,” then one industry-average for minimum retainers is between $7.5K and $10K per month. What do our clients get for that investment? Significant business growth across 100% of their target market. Less focused branding and PR might net you 75% of a market. How much is 25% of your market worth? Several million? Hundreds of millions? This is the cost of not investing in effective, integrated branding and PR.
Order & Chaos
If, however, you need to continue to build your belief in PR & marketing by doing it yourself or in a less focused way, it takes a combination of Order and Chaos to move the sales needle.
“Order” is my following 5-step framework for how to market effectively.
“Chaos” is your company’s unique way of implementing within this framework. Get to it. Or give us a call.
5-Step Framework for How to Market Effectively
First, fully understand the environment in which your potential customers operate. Experts suggest we have the online attention span of a goldfish, about 3 seconds. Your main benefit-value proposition must be clearly stated and consistently repeated in various ways. Keep it short and visually graphic.
Second, organize your energy in this order:
1. Create content.
2. Search engine optimize it.
3. Apply social media, but only if it supports your business goals and you have the resources to keep it going.
Click here for more details.
Third, focus on your highest level message. A well designed value proposition, like a good visual design, can scale to the size of a postage stamp or a billboard and maintain its integrity. Then create 30,000-ft, and 10,000-ft messages that roll up into your highest level message. Start with a Messaging Platform. Click here for a Messaging Platform template to guide you.
Softscribe takes messaging a step further with a systematic Buyer Persona interview process. We capture what your customers care about in that slice of time just before they start looking for your product or service. Click here for examples.
Fourth, design your efforts into a hub-and-spoke strategy that can grow with you. What will be your hub? Your website? A blog? Drive prospects to your hub and convert them with a Call to Action. Click here for a sample B2B hub-and-spoke PR strategy
Fifth, tap into a learning environment and/or outside expertise – give us a call. From now on, professional learning is part of our lives. Make it manageable; fit a learning culture into your lifestyle. In Atlanta, I regularly attend 3 business groups at a time, currently SEMPO, StartUp Chicks, and Toastmasters.
You can use MeetUp.com to find groups in your location.
And you can use my 5-step marketing framework to reach your business goals. I’m eager to hear of your success.
What marketing step would you add to a must-do framework? Share it with me here.
