Author: Dr. Rachana Chowdhary

Many marketers need help deciding if they should focus on lead generation or put their effort into brand awareness. The struggle is about balancing the two because your business needs both. Lead generation and branding are like two sides of the same coin, and you cannot ignore one for the other. In fact, for a digital marketing strategy to be successful, both must go hand in hand. They are learning how and when to prioritize what can be a game-changer for the growth of a business.

Let’s first learn what lead generation is and what branding is. When we know these two terminologies, we can better appreciate their differences and significance.

What is Lead Generation?

Lead generation is when a business attracts potential prospects to its website and converts them into leads. These leads eventually become valuable customers. Lead generation is a specific task and targets the opportunity for a defined purpose. The purpose can be to get them to check a particular landing page, sign up for a newsletter, or purchase a product. The success of a lead generation campaign can be measured using defined metrics like – the number of sign-ups or the number of products sold.

What is Branding?

Branding, as the name says, is about increasing awareness about a brand. The focus of a branding campaign is to reach more people and let them know about the brand. Social media ads, promotions at networking events, social media campaigns, etc., are typically used to increase a brand’s reach digitally. The primary aim is not to generate sales but to make people aware of a brand name. Branding helps establish a business as a recognized and trusted name in its niche.

How Lead-Generation Campaigns Differ from Other Types of Marketing Communications

Different from conventional advertising or marketing communications is lead generation. The primary distinction is direct marketing, usually referred to as direct-response marketing communications, in lead creation. “Direct marketing” refers to targeted, measurable marketing tools, strategies, and initiatives motivated by return-on-investment (ROI) concerns. The main distinction is that direct marketing aims to inspire action. Whatever the marketer’s objective is, the action could be anything from a click to a call to a store visit.

Direct marketing is the foundation for today’s successful marketing strategies. It is based on customer information collected, maintained in a database, and used with various analytical and communications tactics. E-commerce, data mining, customer relationship management (CRM), and integrated marketing communications are some strategies. But generating leads for a sales force—whether it be an outside sales resource like a distribution channel partner or representative, an inside sales team, or both—is the main contribution that direct marketing offers to the business marketing equation.

B2B Direct marketing is a vast industry.

Interesting data on the scope and impact of direct marketing in corporate markets is published by the Direct Marketing Association. From The DMA 2010 Statistical Fact Book, have a look at these:

• B2B direct marketing spending in all media channels in 2010 was $74.6 billion.
• The spending growth rate (CAGR) between 2009 and 2014 is expected to be 4.9 per cent for B2B, compared to only 4 per cent for direct consumer marketing spend.
• B2B sales driven by direct marketing in 2010 represented $786 billion.
• Sales growth CAGR from 2009 to 2014 is estimated at 5.4 per cent, compared to 4.9 per cent in consumers.

An estimated 3.9 million people were employed in B-to-B direct marketing in the U.S. in 2009. This is big business in every sense of the word.

In addition to direct-response marketing, lead generation differs from conventional marketing communications in two significant areas. One aspect of lead creation is the balance between quantity and quality. Salespeople are a costly resource for a business, and making them more productive is the role of lead generation. Thus, having a large audience and a high volume is optional. In actuality, fewer, higher-quality leads always outweigh more, lower-quality leads.

Second, lead generation frequently takes place on the ground level. It assists sales, generates field results, and establishes income connections. Lead generation is commonly regarded as a more tactical set of actions than strategic marketing that occurs in corporate communications, brand creation, and public relations and is a part of a field marketing function. Some lead generation professionals feel underappreciated by general marketers who focus on so-called bigger-picture marketing because of their largely tactical role. The B-to-B industry is still debating this issue. But anything that is the primary job of 76 per cent of CMOs deserves a lot of respect.

Two sides of the same coin

You can see that despite their differences, lead generation and branding significantly impact one another. Lead generation comes after effective branding. The brand is strengthened when leads turn into paying clients. Most of the time, combining the two will yield the best results rather than choosing one. It all comes down to applying the proper method at the appropriate moment. Your marketing efforts will be successful if you can pull them off.

Contact us to learn how we can help you develop a better Marketing Strategy for your business.

Credits:
Content: Keshav Bhardwaj
Publisher: Media Value Works
Social Media: Ravish Dhiran

With the increased penetration of technology and the internet, the content appetite has been amplified drastically. The rise of online media is dramatically altering the ways people consume content on a micro-level, creating a new user-centric communication model.

Content writing is the process of creating, editing, and publishing content for various formats such as social media copy, articles, press releases, video scripts, white paper, product descriptions, brochures, landing pages and more.

Let’s take a look at the top 6 types of Content writing in 2022:

1. Micro-Content

Microcontent conveys pieces of information that answer a specific question or leave an impression on the audience in a short period of time, which is entirely necessary for today’s audiences. It is written copy, imagery, or video content that can be consumed in 10-30 seconds or less. Infographics, short video clips, e-mail subjects, captions, webpage tiles, short listicles and precise social media posts can be segments of micro-content.

2. Influencer Content

Social media influencers who possess a dedicated social following and are viewed as experts within their niche creates content using endorsement and product mentions. The content strategy is to generate creative, splendid and pertinent content, which can be in the form of short video clips, photo uploads, storytelling, live product demos and more.  Due to higher interaction with followers, the content generates a good impact on existing and potential followers. The endorsed and branded content serves as social proof to the brand’s potential customers and maintains brand identity.

3. News Writing

News writing is writing for publication in a newspaper, often reporting current events and journalism. It is the most sophisticated, comprehensive, and formal way of writing that follows an inverted pyramid structure. Lead (most important information comprises 5W and 1H), body (background details and expanding the topic) and tail (extra information, assessment and interesting facts). The news story should comprise elements of newsworthiness such as proximity, timeliness, human interest and conflict.

4. Feature Writing

A feature is a write-up on a subject of the latest concern and interest to a common reader. It is not a news story but derived from a piece of news. Features aimed at informing, entertaining, enlightening and providing facts in an exciting form for rapid reading. A broader explanation of the topic with relevant facts and background detail in an interesting way is the content strategy for writing features. The feature structure comprises the introduction, elaboration, elucidation, interpretation, a narration of facts, future possibilities and conclusion.

5. Lifestyle Writing

Lifestyle writing is all about covering stories that have human interest, positivity, hope and entertainment. It is an umbrella term for specialized beats such as travel, food, fashion, home décor, health, wellness, stories of celebrities and other soft beats. Readers often find it more exciting and wonderful to apply kinds of stuff in their life whenever there is some free time. Most people spend reading lifestyle stories. Here, the writing strategy is different and is human and soft information-centric, requiring research and looking for news angles. 

6. Copywriting

Copywriting is the process of writing a persuasive piece of content that motivates people to take some action, such as making a purchase, clicking on the link, donating to a cause, scheduling an appointment etc. It comprises a clear message set using different advertising channels such as websites, print and digital ads, newspapers, magazines, and brochures. Businesses communicate effectively via copywriting with existing and potential customers to expand their market reach.

Over the period of time, the mode of communication expanded, which eventually led to content being copied, manipulated and misinterpreted. Media Value Works, on multiple fronts, understand the client’s business objectives and creates goal-oriented content for better reach among the target audience and offer end-to-end creative, communication-centric, complete content development services.

Contact us to learn how we can help you in developing in better content strategy for your business.

Credits:
Content: Vaibhav Chandra
Graphics: Shrikant Landge
Publisher: Media Value Works
Social Media: Ravish Dhiran

Public Relations (PR) is a set of strategic communication used by organizations or individuals to build and sustain relations amongst the target audience and various stakeholders. It envisages creativity, content curation, and reaching out to the target audience with exemplary communication efforts. Due to digitization, industrialization and global disruption, the human behavioral pattern has developed, so public relations’ role and working style has changed multifaceted.

The pandemic and technological trends like the utilization of online media, social media and digital marketing have reinforced the adoption of new-age technology for business development and effectively integrated marketing communication efforts which actively contributed to the transformation and expansion of the public relations industry.

Here are the top 5 notable trends that are reshaping the public relations industry in 2022:

1. Personalized PR Pitching

Communicating with key media with the same set of messages proved to be impotent as every journalist has a different mindset. Personalized pitches to specific journalists or influencers first present an eye-catching idea that is hard to miss. Second, tap directly on their interest to provide precise information in news-worthy content that maximizes the chance of being published by the targeted media outlets. It empowers PR professionals to create instant trust and nourish the relationship with media outlets and professionals who become supportive when pitching in the future.

2. Influencer Marketing

With the increased penetration of online and social media platforms, audiences have begun to trust peers’ recommendations as it generates curiosity regarding products or brands. People find more authenticity in content and recommendation from actual consumers, celebrities or influencers rather than in other forms of promotions and advertising.

Influencer marketing involves endorsements and product placement from influencers, people and organizations who have an expert level of knowledge or social influence in their field. They upload sponsored content on their social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, or other online channels.

3. Tailored Content Strategy for the greater outreach

A customized content strategy builds customer loyalty and meets the objectives because it directly meets the target audience and potential customers. Tailored content is all about delivering experiences that speak directly to target customers.

PR professionals must emphasize their content strategy efficiently, ensuring its uniqueness engages and reaches the target audience. Incorporating appropriate keywords and other SEO optimization tactics makes the content visible on initial search pages, increasing search engine rankings. The personalized content strategy supported by data analytics and conclusion from existing campaigns proves a great way to place the client’s brand in the right spots.

4. Leveraging the power of Digital Media

With the news earlier restricted to only the traditional means such as newspapers and magazines, the entry of this new medium transformed the landscape and made information and news available anytime, anywhere.

From online press releases and sharing on social media platforms, the possibilities of digital PR are endless. With Web 3.0, marketing communication horizons are expanding further and brands can extend their presence into the digital world and gain immense publicity across the platforms that their target audience uses.

5. Impact Evaluation

In the Public Relations domain, it’s a challenge to show the impact generated as it is less tangible than other services. All clients want to know the impression created and whether the money, time and efforts that went into a campaign changed consumer behaviour and profit generated.

To prove the campaign’s ROI, meaningful metrics that relate directly to business goals and objectives are required. PR firms can create winning strategies, deploy them through suitable platforms, and create and measure campaign success metrics.

Credits:
Content: Vaibhav Chandra
Graphics: Shrikant Landge
Publisher: Media Value Works
Social Media: Ravish Dhiran

Public Relations is the blend of art and science which manages the flow of communication among an organization and its target audience to build, manage and sustain its positive reputation. It involves monitoring and evaluating public attitudes and maintaining the mutual relationship. The public could be employees, the financial public (shareholders, financial media, investment and financial analysts), potential customers, government, women, youth and the general public.

Let’s discuss the top 6 functions of the public relations –

1) Target Audience Relations – For any flourishing enterprise, it is imperative to create and maintain a positive relationship with its target audience. Every activity must be seen, and the voice is heard by the target audience for conveying a strong message that says you are all about the common cause.

The public relations department often works closely across departments to achieve good relations through newsletters, magazines, corporate video, writing brochures, and preparing audio-visual materials for training and policy-transmission purposes.

2) Media Relations – Media is considered a crucial target public is requiring deliberate and effective effort. It is a mutually beneficial relationship between journalists and public relations professionals. One of the most significant benefits for journalists is the easy access to story ideas and sources. The public relation department is the one that supplies all information to media persons and organizations. and are responsible for dealing with and maintaining better relations with the media.

3) Crisis Communication – Crisis communication is all about managing media representation and relationships whenever some kind of threat takes place related to an organization’s reputation. People in the public relations department handle the components of a crisis communication plan. They are well versed in designating an official spokesperson, content strategy, and logistics to avert the crisis from happening again. The public relations function entails the development and targeted release of messages, both for the internal and external audience. The spokesperson is trained to manage challenging and hostile questions in a peaceful manner.

4) Lobbying – The Public Relations department comprises highly efficient communication professionals who are well-versed in influencing decisions. Lobbying refers to understanding their clients’ concerns, needs, and interests and using their knowledge of the legislative process to educate key decision-makers. It involves interacting with government officials and legislators to influence government decisions that affect the organization’s functioning.

5) Brand Reputation – The fundamental function of public relations is to manage and influence the brand’s positive perception within the target audience. All brand communication efforts comprise the organization’s core values and mission statement, which is reiterated during the dissemination of the message. The PR team communicates information regarding products to the public through media sources, and this leads to comprehensive awareness regarding products among people in the market and boosts brand value.

PR professionals work closely with the marketing team to make noise regarding the product, reinforcing advertising and promotion campaigns. Such strategies are imperative to uphold any enterprise’s goodness, prosperity, and common welfare facets.

6) Counseling – The Public Relations department is very energetic and active as they embrace themselves with new happening and trends across the market and daily basis. They did research, so they have a good understanding of the target audience and concerned market. This department plays a crucial role in marketing communication efforts and empowers top-level management to make multiple decisions. It keeps them aware of all public matters and provides them suggestions in case of any problem or product mishap.

Credits:
Content: Vaibhav Chandra
Graphics: Shrikant Landge
Publisher: Media Value Works
Social Media: Ravish Dhiran

Public relations is a significant consideration for any enterprise. How an organization interacts with their target audience and the impression generated directly projects business benefits and goodwill amongst potential customers and the general public.

Public relations is the most productive and deliberate effort to develop a strong brand image. It strategically communicates and represents an individual or an organization to the target audience to influence public perception. Effective Public Relations efforts are crucial for business development, retaining existing customers, and preventing them from turning to rivals.

Technology has multifacetedly empowered every aspect of modern businesses, and no industry has been left untouched. Tech advancements have shaped numerous previously intense and sophisticated tasks much easier and cheaper to complete, and the public relations industry is no exception to tech advancements.

Monitoring the Coverage

All PR efforts go waste if the coverage garnered across media is not monitored. The surveillance of media and coverage has always been challenging aspects of the public relations industry, but it has changed drastically.

Earlier, media monitoring meant checking the local and national press, mainly via newspapers, television news and radio programs, cutting the newspaper clippings or print coverage and sharing it with the client. Today, many data analytics-based media monitoring tools are available to check online coverage by keywords and social media impressions. More crucial is getting a better understanding of what people are saying about a company on social media.

Robust Research

The majority of pr professionals’ time goes into researching and developing effective pr strategies. Research scenarios have changed drastically with the dawn of the internet and search engines. Before the Internet and search engines, pr professionals manually collected information from newspaper clippings, press releases, marketing agencies, magazines, etc.

Today we have most of the information available on just a finger type. Search engines have exceptionally empowered the pr industry to get the research work robust and be one step ahead of competitors.

Tracking Performance

In the Public Relations industry, showing the impact generated is challenging as these services are less tangible than others. It was challenging to show the results of integrated marketing communications campaigns in the past due to manual and non-precise tracking. But the digital world has finally been armed with tools to help with PR measurement and optimization. Setting a list of such KPIs gathers data and analyses the organization’s performance. Analytical data generated from online media websites and social media sites, including social media mentions such as tagging, tweeting, etc., consumer surveys to scale brand awareness, and other AI and ML-based tools widely used to determine PR reach.

The metrics and analytics support strategy makers to have a holistic view of the bigger picture and the details about the outcomes of campaigns and future approaches to making new strategies more robust and result-oriented.

Online Events

Holding industry events such as award ceremonies, conferences, seminars, training, skill development workshops, etc., is a thought-provoking effective measure to solidify the organization’s presence and voice as a leading industry personality.

Events are the best place to communicate with the potential audience and customers with a common interest. Developing and nurturing relationships is crucial, which leads to fulfilling objective sets such as business development, goodwill management and creating a customer base.

Introducing your client or spokesperson in-person leaves a long-lasting impression as the public remembers by the face, visuals, event ambience, and integrated communication. After the pandemic’s inception, most events have shifted to online mode, allowing the maximum number of people to join and pr professionals to publicize on a more prominent front.

The impact of Technology on the public relations industry will continue to evolve in future. Implementing data analytics tools, machine learning, and AI have tremendous potential to empower PR professionals to understand better editors, reporters, bloggers, influencers, and analysts.

Media Value Works have embraced technological advancements and provided its clients with effective and impactful public relations campaigns.

Contact us to learn how we can help you develop a better PR strategy for your business.

Credits:
Content: Vaibhav Chandra
Graphics: Shrikant Landge
Publisher: Media Value Works
Social Media: Ravish Dhiran