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February 29, 2012

Using Strategic PR to ‘Catapult’ Ahead of Your Competition

In medieval times, catapults often were used to propel objects against enemies to protect turf and move armies forward.

While today, catapults are used in fun ways (to propel pumpkins, computers and other inanimate objects), one thing remains true. “Leaping” ahead not only can be fun, but, it can be a strategic weapon.

At Catapult PR-IR, that was the premise upon which we were founded. To help our clients not only propel but *leap ahead* of their competitors, regardless of their size or offerings.

As we celebrate this special Leap Day, which happens only once every 4 years, it is a good reminder for us to always keep front and center that no matter what the size of the company, no matter the challenges of financing nor “ducks in a row,” or stellar customers that cannot yet be named, that creating a market-leading position can be achieved by a carefully laid strategy, sheer words and diligent execution.

Precise crafting of strategy and messaging can propel an unknown company into the folds of much larger competitors who wonder, “Where did this unknown company come from?” It can level the playing field — making a small start-up vying against a much larger established company — look like a formidable player.

On this special day, Leap Day, we salute all the small companies who have braved the challenges and taken the chance to level that playing field by using strategy and messaging as their key strategic weapons. That, together with unbridled execution, is why they still not only exist today, but, are now leaders in their fields.

What small company do you respect and why?

~      Terri      ~ 

January 9, 2012

CONTENT REALLY IS KING

Years ago I was sarcastically referred to as the “Content King” around here at Catapult. Back in the day (yes, I’m old), developing content was somewhat secondary to the glamor of pitching stories, arranging interviews, hitting the road on press tours and getting placements in key technology publications like eWeek, ComputerWorld and InfoWorld.

However, as we head into 2012 good, solid content has become as valuable as pure gold. From where I sit the shifting sands of the marketing landscape seem to be settling around a central notion – that compelling and useful content is a true lynchpin to successful marketing. Consider how social media marketing has evolved and, without useful content, much of the initial efforts to “engage” and “join conversations” fell flat in the results department. Today’s advertisements are now limited without QR codes to provide additional information to foster engagement. And, of course, effective “traditional” public relations is increasingly dependent on strategic positioning and messaging that is conveyed not only through media coverage, but through the creation and placement of content, be it graphical, video or written word.

Don’t Wait, Self-Publish!

As we head into 2012 all of us within the PR and associated marketing practices should strive to harness the power and opportunity for self-publishing compelling content. From news releases, blogs and by-lined articles to white papers and YouTube videos, all of the content we create should be well thought-out and made easily accessible to the global community. Creating a content strategy as a means of being an active and useful member of your market is a practical way to convey an organization’s unique expertise, years of experience and willingness to share and give back to the community. Publishing useful content drives website traffic and builds awareness as a thought leader, and helps establish a library of useful information that should be displayed and easily downloadable from your organization’s website. Increasingly, social media favorites Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn have evolved into content publishing portals – and they know a thing or two.

I am, and have always been, “all about the content.” Today, and for the foreseeable future, content will continue to provide differentiation, value and market impact for organizations large and small. Make this year the year of content, and you too can feel like a king (or queen)!

Stay tuned for my ongoing “High Tech PR Guy” series as I share my thoughts on how you can make sense of the dynamic, changing world of PR, and how you can turn useful content (and other strategies) into winning marketing results.

What are your views and best practices for creating and sharing content? ~Guy