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Bringing A More Data-Driven Approach to PR Campaigns

As the presidential election cycle heats up we are hearing more and more about how certain campaigns are making (and have made) imaginative use of data to help boost their candidates’ chances of success. A good example is a story I heard recently about the early stages of Michael Bloomberg’s now-abandoned campaign.

According to the story, the campaign did some research to determine where the 50-100 most influential TV political talking heads live. They then made an effort to place yard signs in those neighborhoods, and perhaps all along the pundits’ route to work, to make it look like there was an organic groundswell of support for the former mayor of New York City so they would talk about it.

Pretty clever if true, wouldn’t you say? What’s more significant is that it’s plausible.

We’ve all heard stories about campaigns using sophisticated analytics to micro-target ads on social media. They may have hundreds or thousands of data-driven variations designed specifically to push exactly the right buttons of the individual who sees those ads.

In other words, the ads I see may be very different than the ads you see or our neighbors see. But they are meaningful to each of us.

One area of integrated marketing that has typically been difficult to quantify in this way is public relations. This is due to the nature of PR itself.

When you see an ad on the Internet or TV, receive a marketing email or even get a piece of snail mail, there is usually a next step you can take. You can click on link (sometimes inadvertently, thereby dooming you to forever see messages that make your blood boil), heed the urgent yelling to “CALL NOW!!!,” text a five-digit number, etc.

With PR, however, that is usually not the case. To respond to an article that captures your interest you actually have to go out of your way (the horror!) to search for a company. Or at least type in a URL. Without an action, it’s difficult to get a read on just how effective the PR campaign has been in capturing the hearts and minds (and potentially the wallets) of your target audience.

Difficult, but not impossible. Earlier this year I wrote the blog post “Three Ways to Make Your PR Campaigns More Data-Driven” for the Forbes Agency Council. It offers some key insights not only into how to measure the effectiveness of your PR campaigns but also what to measure. (SPOILER ALERT: It’s not ad equivalency, which has always been one of the worst measures of the quality of PR.)

If you’d like to learn what those ways are, follow this mercifully shortened link to the original article:

http://bit.ly/2vSH0Nw

While PR may still not have the sophisticated analytics of the more advanced election campaigns, it has definitely come a long way in the last few years. Be sure you’re up on all the latest options so you can take advantage of them.

There are plenty of classes you can take. Or you can shortcut the process by letting a data-driven PR agency like Amendola Communications do it for you.

Interested? Send me an email or shoot me a text and we’ll help you make your campaign a winner.

3 Resolutions for Public Relations and Marketing Campaigns in 2018

Healthcare IT public relations agency Amendola Communications advises how to tweak next year’s campaigns for more impact

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Nov. 20, 2017 Now is not only a good time to make personal resolutions for the coming year, it’s also an ideal time to plan what to do different professionally especially for PR and marketing pros who want bigger and better results in 2018. For tips on how to get more out of your own PR and marketing campaigns next year, check out the following selected blog posts from Amendola Communications, a nationally recognized, award-winning healthcare and healthcare IT public relations and marketing agency. Then subscribe to the blog today.

If You Really Want to Sell More Products, Lose the Jargon

Next year, make a point of injecting more personality in your messaging. The fastest path: lose the corporate-speak. Trust us, your prospects don’t say, think or write statements like, “I really need to buy a healthcare IT system that improves operational efficiencies while aligning my department with enterprise-wide business objectives.” But if you’re still not convinced your target markets can handle being spoken to in real people language, read this blog to find out why you couldn’t be more mistaken.

Fire Your Inner Critic

Nothing kills creative thinking like a doubting Thomas or Debbie Downer and too often, these very critics are ourselves. If your own inner critic is taking up too much of the conversation, it’s time to banish him or her for good. All your ideas for new marketing and PR campaigns will thank you for it! This blog explains how to silence your inner critic and proceed full speed ahead to achieve your goals.

Why Good Clients Are Key for Great PR”¦and How to Be One

Speaking of great ideas, maybe you have plenty”¦but lack the time to actually execute them. If that’s the case, it’s probably time you turn to a proven healthcare IT public relations agency. Of course, even the best agencies need clients that bring certain attributes to the table. Check them out in this blog, then check out Amendola Communications. We could be a great match!

Amendola’s blog covers all things public relations and marketing. A go-to source for communications professionals, the blog publishes on a weekly basis and features over a dozen subject matter experts in every aspect of publicizing and marketing healthcare technology companies.

Media Contact:
Marcia Rhodes | 480.664.8412 ext. 15 | mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com