It’s not every day that we get excited about a new platform in the marketing world, but today could be one of those days.

While some people struggle with ‘technology fatigue’, trying to juggle every new innovation that comes along, we at OneOpinion see the potential for new technologies to make our daily work lives more efficient and productive. And, as a business, we want to be at the forefront of those innovations.

OneOpinion is a leading social commerce platform, connecting buyers with sellers and helping businesses grow their sales online. With over 20+ unique features, the platform is designed to make selling as easy as possible. We are a certified B Corporation, and our community of customers love us because we provide best-in-class customer service and powerful, easy-to-use tools to help them succeed.

The Future of PR

In the past, PR was mostly considered to be a necessary evil, something to do after the event, once the press release was approved by the media team. In today’s digital world, however, traditional PR tactics may not cut it.

In the past year alone, we’ve seen the rise of content marketing, which now constitutes PR, and more and more businesses are realising the power of having a brand voice, distinct from marketing, that can promote their products and services.

In a nutshell, traditional PR is evolving to become more digital, more content-led, and — importantly — more results-focused.

The rise of digital PR is a direct result of the ‘new normal’ we’re living in, where technology makes our day-to-day lives easier and more efficient. While there is certainly still a place for traditional PR, it is not the be-all-end-all, and businesses need to ensure that they have a strategy in place, as well as a digital plan, if they want to continue to thrive.

Why Content Marketing?

If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either a marketer or business owner, which means you either understand the value of marketing communications or you’re deciding whether or not to invest in content marketing. In either case, I assume you’re looking for an answer to the question: ‘Why should I bother?’, as most of our readers are.

If you’ve ever tried to convince a busy business owner or marketing director that content marketing is worth their time and effort, you’ll know that it can be a difficult job — especially if you don’t have the results to back it up. Fortunately, that’s where we come in.

At OneOpinion, we’ve been able to harness the power of content marketing to become one of the world’s largest social commerce platforms, connecting businesses with customers, engaging them into action, and boosting customer confidence in retail, travel and dining industries. We believe that businesses, when approached correctly, can be both effective and efficient in their use of content marketing, and that’s what inspired us to write this piece.

How to approach content marketing

When approaching content marketing, it’s important to consider the aim of your strategy, as well as the resources you have at your disposal. What do you hope to get out of this content strategy?

Do you want to raise brand awareness? Drive traffic to your website? Generate leads? Attracting, engaging and motivating customers to take action is the key to a successful content strategy. With that in mind, here are a few tips on how to make the most of your content marketing efforts.

Create compelling content

As a general rule, the more you put into your content, the more you’ll get out of it. This holds true for both written and visual content. The better the content, the more people will be able to relate to it and the more chance you have of driving some form of action. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you need to overdo it and make your content overly complex. Instead, you should aim to create a balance between engaging and informative content that will keep your readers interested.

Target the right audience

To put it simply, you need to match your audience with your content.

Depending on your business, you may have different audiences that you can target. For example, if you are a luxury goods brand, you may want to target high-end individuals or businesses. If you are a fast-food chain, you may want to target millennials. Whatever the case, you need to target the right audience so that your content motivates them to take action and subsequently converts them into paying customers or leads.

Use metrics and analysis to evaluate your success

In order to determine how effective your content strategy is, you’ll need to set up metrics for measuring the results of your efforts. There are several metrics that you could use, such as the number of visitors to your website, the amount of social media engagement (likes, retweets, etc.), and the number of leads that you generate through your social media presence. If you use analytics software like Google Analytics, you’ll be able to track the results of your content strategy in no time. All you need to do is set up a few simple metrics for measuring the success of your content marketing efforts, and you’ll be able to determine, without too much thought, whether or not content marketing is working for your business.

The Evolution of PR

With each new day, we’re surrounded by new and evolving technologies, modes of communication, and marketing strategies that leave us asking, ‘Why should I bother?’.

However, just because something new comes along doesn’t mean that we have to completely overhaul our approach to marketing and communications, as there are often alternatives that can fit perfectly into our existing strategies. For example, email marketing was once seen as a ‘quick win’ in comparison to more traditional forms of marketing, like radio ads or billboards. But, in today’s world, email marketing is considered to be one of the most effective and versatile modes of digital marketing. It’s also one of the modes that can provide the most leverage, as you can use email not only to inform but also to engage with your audience. If a business doesn’t hear from its customers often enough, it may begin to doubt that its product or service is desirable or needed. The result is that the customer could potentially become a victim of false advertising.

How can PR work for your business?

Even though we live in a world dominated by digital platforms and social media, there are still plenty of businesses that benefit from having a presence in the physical world. Travel agencies, for example, may want to get in front of potential customers who are interested in travel packages or discounts, and luxury goods brands may want to target high-end individuals or businesses that may be interested in their products.

In today’s world, everyone has access to the internet and digital marketing, so it’s important that businesses try to find ways to grow their presence in this medium. The most successful businesses will be the ones that harness the power of all available platforms, not just the ones that depend on just one.

If you’re looking to grow your business, or just want to know more about PR, check out the links below.

To become a certified B Corporation, OneOpinion had to undergo an annual audit, attesting to our commitment to being a good corporate citizen. As a result of this audit, we were required to create an official public report, regarding our social and environmental impact, which we called ‘A Good Carbon Footprint’.” If you’d like to know more, you can access our B Corporation certification here.

To learn more about PR and how it can work for your business, check out the links below.