PR & Social Media
Make PR part of your multi-faceted marketing strategy.
While many think of advertising first in strategizing about marketing, one of the oldest tools in the marketing toolkit is public relations. Good PR has a power that advertising does not and serves a different strategic purpose.
The Public Relations Society of America defines PR as “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” For a more clear explanation of PR, we like what Wikipedia says.
Our PR efforts for varied clients strive to create positive visibility and to enhance the public trust of a business or organization. It’s not pitching products or services, as in advertising. It’s often more subtle and sometimes generous, as in event sponsorships, and often serves to create the proverbial ‘buzz.’
Tap our resources for your public relations strategies
Our FlexTeams have experience and a track records with media relations, events, fundraisers, sponsorships, social media, blogging and more—all to bring success to your business or nonprofit.
A PORTFOLIO of PR examples: publicity, online publishing & events
Including: CONTRACTOR | RESTAURANT | WATER LIMO | NEIGHBORHOOD | MARKETER | BAKERY | NEIGHBORHOOD PUB
Media relations PR examples
• For Master Remodelers we’ve generated 8 media stories over a period of 4 years, in addition to regular blogging. (click on image to enlarge)
• For Pittsburgh Water Limo, during 2008 and 2009 we helped to generate 7 media stories, including for the launch of a new “luxury liner” in 2009.
• For the 2007 launch of Bistro To Go we helped to generate 6 media stories and 2 reviews in six months and foster a strong opening for the restaurant.
• For the 2004 launch of a sister business in the community, Priory Fine Pastries, we generated a story in the Post-Gazette and one on KDKA-TV, again as part of a multi-faceted marketing strategy.
• For the community of Deutschtown in 2011, we generated 6 media stories for its Historic House Tour, along with a multi-faceted promotional strategy. This tripled the visits to the community’s website and resulted in a sell-out 750 people touring.
More recently, we generated two two stories and a new video to promote re-investment in the Deutschtown business district.
• In 2014 a small group of neighborhood stakeholders committed to improving the curb appeal of vacant storefronts in the East Ohio Street business district. So it turned the street into a gallery with more than 50 pieces of public art. At our encouragement the P-G generated “A fresh perspective is sprucing up the view of East Ohio Street.” We also created a Facebook photo gallery of the project on the Deutschtown page.
• In 2015, a Post-Gazette story featured a snappy new video we helped to produce targeting a new generation of entrepreneurs.
.
Social media PR examples
• For Master Remodelers we posted on their Facebook page up to 8 times a week, providing insights and ideas (i.e. value) to potential customers and only ‘soft sell’ occasionally.
• For Deutschtown we post on their Facebook page up to 8 times a week, providing positive news and offering lots of great photos.
• While we don’t post often to the Park House Facebook page, the owner does and gets good, enthusiast interaction from customers. We’ve also set up Hootsuite to post simultaneously to Twitter. (also for Deutschtown)
• We also have our own Randy Strothman & Associates Facebook page, again to provide our own marketing news, insights and items of interest captured from the Internet.
.
Blogging PR examples
• For the Master Remodelers blog we posted every month or so with news about the company or topics of interest to their upscale target audience.
• When we set up the Park House blog on a new website, the owner immediately began posting his specials and events—very colorfully! When he posts the blog, his website also sends an email to subscribers and posts on Facebook.
• In 2011 we created a new, multi-faceted Internet presence for Bistro To Go, including their first blog, a new Facebook page, a new website and a weekly e-newsletter.
• For Randy Strothman & Associates we blog every month or so, offering either client news or items of general marketing interest.
.
Event PR examples
• 
For Master Remodelers we’ve helped to plan, promote and execute several open houses to display their work. A recent Open House produced great media coverage, 250 visitors and good leads.
• For Bistro To Go & Company we launched the business in 2007 with 3 days of open houses for different target audiences and got more than 600 people sampling food, meeting the owners… and spreading the buzz.
• For the startup of Priory Fine Pastries in 2004 we also staged an open house as part of a multi-faceted launch campaign.
• For the 2011 Historic Deutschtown House Tour we helped to deliver a sell-out crowd of 750+ for this community fundraiser and brand builder.