Guest post by Manchester PR Rob Baker of Artisan Marketing Communications

Honestly. Is there a better bang for your big theory than well applied online marketing? When ROI comes calling what better option than online search marketing in the pursuit of new clients?

It’s sound thinking. Thinking that defines the traditional SEO agency approach to ranking and online profile.

These days though – is the cloak and dagger world of old school SEO really geared up to deliver what Google wants? To properly represent your business online? Ask any business owner who’s taken a kicking from a Penguin or a Panda recently and through their tears they’ll likely whimper… ‘no.’ ‘If only my site had been build on quality copy and content’, they might say. ‘If only I’d earned my rankings with legitimate links from other trusted sites.’

The Power of PR

So what about PR? Where does that fit in? And isn’t Public Relations something that’s done offline? By big companies? With big budgets?

PR is often seen as complementary, a useful add-on – something that cannot be analysed.

Not so. It’s very much part of the online world and more than ever PR is an essential component of your online marketing mix.

Traditional PR – print and broadcast media – ROCKS.

Why You Should Use PR As Part Of Your Online Marketing.

Inbound Links

Offline coverage goes online. Every magazine and newspaper has an online presence and any coverage you pick up off line will be transferred online. The result? High quality inbound links form multiple trusted sources that boost your rankings. Links worth anywhere from £100 (trade press) up to a £1,000 in a national. Links that most SEO agencies spend a great deal of time, energy and your money trying to replicate the benefits of.

A national such as the Daily Mail has over 4 million readers.  The Sunday Times has an excellent business section and the BBC is profile money just cannot buy, both figuratively and in hard fact.

At a time when Google is changing its algorithms (see the carnage caused by the Penguin update) to ensure rankings are not manipulated, doesn’t it make sense to build your online profile on a rock solid link strategy? On high value links from newspapers, magazines, blogs, portals, company websites and association websites?

PR can deliver them.

Valuable, Measurable Profile

PR can be judged on the advertising equivalent it gains in coverage.

So for example, a half page in a national daily such as the Guardian could be worth as much as £15,000. A page in the Manchester Evening News £10,000 – you get the idea.

And this coverage is measurable.  It can also be assessed on the newspapers, nationals and trade magazine pieces of coverage that appear.  In its own right good for generating enquiries and brilliant for raising profile and reputation.

Integrated Online Marketing

The online world is changing. Online marketing is integrating. No one discipline is enough. PR as a link building technique, along with copywriting, content strategy, web development, social media and aspects of traditional SEO plays a mission critical role in building your business online.

Notes

Links

www.artsanmc.co.uk

Image borrowed with thanks from Susan Renee

Do you use LinkedIn as source of information and inspiration for your sector? You should. It’s great. A colourful place. Full of colourful people. Especially the groups. Whether you chose to simply lurk or become a mega contributor the amount of experience and insight on tap is amazing.

Take the discussion ‘What’s THE single-best writing tip anyone’s ever given you, and why does it stand out?‘ that was started recently at the Copywriters Beat group. Stacks of sage advice, interesting perspectives and useful tips.

Here are some of my favourites:

• If you’re a writer, you write – Dave Egan.
• Ask the question “So what?” – Linda Wilkinson.
• First identify the audience’s problems or needs, then present them with the solution by focusing on the benefits of your product/service rather than the features – Geraldine Jones.
• Sell a good night’s sleep – not the mattress –  Daniel Skulkaew.
• Write it the best you can. Then rewrite it. And rewrite it again. Write it until you are absolutely sure it is the finest work you’ve done – Donna Ambiano.
• The first draft is sh*t – Matthew Meakins.
• Write to express, not to impress – Marya Jan.

David Ogily gets repeated mentions and sound advice from Strunk & White’s, The Elements of Style is in here as well. A special mention too for George Orwell’s 6 rules for writing.

Here they are:

• Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
• Never use a long word where a short one will do.
• If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
• Never use the passive where you can use the active.
• Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
• Break any of these rules sooner than say anything barbarous.

Gorgeous.

Whether you’re a copywriter, an architect, an artist, a barista, barrister, or a lumberjack who’s ok, there’s bound to be a wealth of super-relevant something for you there. Worth a mooch.

Thanks to [ T▲TH▲G▲T▲ ] for the image (keep 'em coming Tris)

Loving the AlphaNail site.

Beautifully direct. Contextually beautiful.

‘Designed For Men. Worn By Warriors’.

‘Sex – Get More of It’.

The strength of the headers matched by the no-nonsense alphamale tone of the (buff… sorry) body copy. Cocky, cool and ultra male.

Whether it’s your thing or not there’s little arguing with the sales thinking and the way that thought translates to copy. They’ve got it nailed.

To quote Nick “The Ghost” Gonzalez:” I train with it, I win with it, I party with it and I do work with it. AlphaNail brings some extra style to those that already got it.”

What d’ya reckon?

Thanks @mckayrc and @nadshassan for the heads up

Yoshi’s Blend from Mackenzie Sheppard on Vimeo.

Yoshi’s got style. He says: “What is important is for our hearts to be broken into pieces and to be humble. This is a process you learn. How to be humble.”  Ground roasted, 78rpm wisdom.

The video? Nothing directly to do with Manchester, copywriting, me being a copywriter in Manchester or SEO (shoot me). Everything to do with hope, class, care, style, love and being human. Yoshi is an impressive example of all.

I aspire.

While I’m on the subject of coffee, do check out CoffeeKicks by international playboy and co-conspirator Phil Byrne – brilliant SEO, link building and website marketing advice.

Thanks to Adam Westbrook for the Yoshi's Blend heads up.

I’m not one for re quoting Dalai Lama wisdom or the profound words of people I’d never heard of until someone I mistakenly follow on Twitter used them to affirm their touchy feely side. I will, however, make an exception today as it’s Valentine’s Day.

And to the Guardian’s Rob Smyth who included this contribution from Paul Taylor in his live coverage of the Pakistan v England One Day International (England won by 130 runs by the way), a heartfelt and sincere thanks.

“14 words that are key to a successful relationship: ‘You look great’ ‘Can I help?’ ‘Let’s eat out’ ‘I’m sorry’ ‘I love you’.”

Like.

Thanks to [ T▲TH▲G▲T▲ ] for the image (keep 'em coming Tris)