Blogging Tips: Media Training with Denmark Chamber of Commerce

Last week, we spent several days in Denmark in the remote south coast of Western Australia - one of the state's most beautiful spots. More than 20 came along to a Perth Media training session (facilitated by the Denmark Chamber of Commerce), and here are some of the tips we shared. Happy blogging!

1.     Go with your strengths: vlog, pics, individuals in the team strengths, photos, writing.

2.     The power of great writing is immense, to draw followers/customers.

3.     Positivity important.

4.     Sell your experiences.

5.     Promote events. Events generate news/customers/drives economic development.

6.     Design your blogs with your preferred social media in mind: instagram; twitter; facebook; linkedin..They all have different needs and different audiences, you can't tell/force your customers which social media to use.

7.     Work out how to share your content.

8.     Create content/blog calendar with deadline. Includes testimonials (3rd party endorsements); FAQs (frequency asked questions); video; long and short blogs. Blogs do not mean long columns. There maybe only one long blog each year, but make it a good well-written one.

9.     Content strategy has to be responsive; constantly changing; has to be flexible, and needs to respond to audience.

10.  Content strategy, needs to be seasonal. IE Christmas/Easter/Winter (bonfire themes; bushwalking); writers festival; Denmark Experience; Long table lunches; poetry/music festival, are examples. Festivals provide multiple ideas for content IE performer profiles; acts; reviews; insights of different skills for experiences, IE botanist walks; indigenous experts; cooks; films. Film tours/content on the back of Tim Winton’s Breath. Holiday packages around Breath tours.

11.  Look into possibility of outsourcing editing. Don't be delusional about your own copy/editing skills. It will impact on your brand.

12.  Quirky stories, are gold. ‘For outsiders everything is interesting,' says Creative and Digital consultant Andal Shreedaran at Perth Media. What is wonderful of Denmark and your own individual businesses?

13.  Collaboration, collaboration, collaboration. For blog distribution and sharing the load for events.

14.  Always check facts.

15.  Understand copyright.

16.  Build your own collection of images.

17.  Use press release/presspack stories as blogs.

18.  Read, read, read. Seek out good writing, understand the difference between good, mediocre and bad.

19.  Read your own writing aloud. Make every word count. Be strict cutting, and work on making writing clear. Be descriptive but not flowery and over the top.

20.  Volunteer for charity to get experience as a blogger. You can write the stories of those that need assistance, while you polish your craft.

21.  Identify your passions, your strengths, your interests.

22.  Tell only best stories, and start with the very best one first. Focus also on the opening para.

23.  Understand google rankings and the reason blogs impact on business sales.

24.  Develop relationships with other companies/bloggers/publications.

25.  Understand importance of themes in content creation and promotions.

26.  Do something every day, as part of your BD.

27.  Appeal to different target markets of your products. IE kid friendly; backpackers.

28.  Content strategy: incorporate key words, such as ‘Denmark’ ‘tourism’.

29.  The only thing stopping you writing and promoting your business is you.

Or too busy, call Perth Media now. We can help with a content package right now! cate@perthmedia.com.au

Case Study: Small Business Captivate On Hold (global tech company based in Perth, Western Australia)

Graphic by Nic van Straalen, Perth Media

People often ask – what does a media company do?

Primarily Perth Media, responds to its client’s needs. All small business are on tight budgets and have different strengths, and we always try to offer real value for money and complement our client’s own areas of expertise. If the team in-house are good writers, then our team may focus on graphics or PR, for example. Or, if the client already has great media connections, our team may set up social media scheduling, content calendars and begin a video blog schedule or write a series of press releases to assist in-house PR.

 In the case of Mark Horwood (CEO of Captivate On Hold; former head of the Truffle Producers of Western Australia and one-time truffle farmer), it has been all about flexibility and being proactive. Perth Media support has promoted the truffle industry (in WA Business News, The Australian, many regional papers and ABC radio); achieved PR that resulted in the sale of Mark’s own truffle farm; established a long-term dialogue with key global tech reporters and media experts in the tech space for Captivate On Hold; brought home some excellent media results (WA Business and ABC radio); and facilitated a seamless, professional, consistent social media presence, including blogs, podcasts, content calendars, graphics and twitter/facebook campaigns.

Here is a testimonial from Mark Horwood, CEO of Captivate On Hold, for Perth Media. Captivate On Hold provides On Hold products for callers waiting on the telephone, one recently-launched is Interactive On Hold. Most of Captivate On Hold's clients are international, and the firm has an office in South Africa, as well as Perth.

‘Our small business needed a good PR consultancy to expand into global markets from a domestic Perth-based Australian company. None of the ‘big PR firms’ wanted to help as our budget was limited. I met Cate Rocchi through my then chair role of the Truffle Producers of Western Australia in the regional truffle capital of Australia – Manjimup.

Cate was energetic and positive and wanted to help. Her background was PR in agribusiness so we got on well. When time pressures dictated the sale of my profitable truffiere, I appointed Cate to assist with the PR to sell a high-priced property in a depressed market. She was brilliant, we had TV, radio and press articles about the property sale. Agents expected to take one year to sell – it sold in a week, full price cash. A well-orchestrated campaign by Perth Media paid off for me.

From there, my business appointed Perth Media to do another seemingly impossible task, make a 30-year business to look like a global corporation – on a budget.

Cate and her team have struggled to do everything needed within the meagre budget we provided. They achieved some amazing results in social media, improved our corporate presentation no end and have set the scene for the global expansion we requested from them.

Personally, Cate is an energetic woman whose effervescence leads greatness. Her business has grown dramatically with ours and the other clients she has taken on. I recommend Perth Media.’

Perth Media has designed a tailored monthly package for Captivate On Hold, please contact us for more details on 0428431699 today.

Facebook Drives Sales, Builds Brands and Increases Google Rankings

'Your company may have a Facebook page, but is it embracing the social media?'

Facebook is rated the #1 social media platform in the world, with 1.19 billion users. Creating a facebook profile and uploading engaging content brings huge benefits – it extends your digital footprint, reaches new and existing customers and creates brand recognition.

Why Facebook?

·      More than half of Australia’s total population is active on facebook, the average user spends 55 minutes per day scrolling through their newsfeed.

·      When it comes to being a brand on Facebook, 80% of users prefer to connect with that brand through facebook (Opposed to over the phone, email or through the website).

·      Facebook allows two-way communication with your followers and creates a sustainable relationship with the audience.

What can your business achieve from having an active, engaging facebook profile?

1. Increase sales

2. Increase brand recognition

3. Consistent and active online presence

4. Broaden customer base

5. Creates and strengthens relationship with followers

6. Creates a channel of communication with customers

7. Optimize search ranking

8. Improve digital footprint

Consider Facebook as your business’s online home base, as it allows you to display all relevant information and spread content such as blog posts, events, deals, photos, videos, milestones and so much more. Facebook’s power comes from its ability to target a small but highly curated audience, therefore as a business on facebook the more you tell the right story the better Facebook can target your audience.

Many are still skeptical of the social media giant’s upside. Here are some short case studies from Facebook Business that prove its worth.

Toyota Australia: To pre-launch its all-new Prius, they used Canva, carousel and video ads on facebook to reach over 7.6 million people and increase the number of test-drives by 69%.

7-Eleven Australia: The international chain saw a 77% lift in app downloads after launching a combined Facebook and Instagram campaign to amplify its mass-market advertising in Australia

QANTAS: Used Facebook’s video ads to promote its latest brand campaign, they had 7.2 million views and 6 million Australians were reached in one month

Loreal Australia: Using facebook’s photo and video ads, the global beauty brand recruited 50,000 Australian women to take its anti-ageing moisturiser challenge, addressing scepticism in the skincare market and achieving record market shares.

In saying this, simply having a profile isn’t enough. Here are some simple steps you can follow to optimize your profile

• Make your profile photo your logo and have an engaging cover photo
• Have a ‘call to action’ button, offering the user to ‘sign up’ or ‘see more’. This could link to a newsletter subscription or link to the website
• Every section should be completed as much as possible (use key words that searchers will use to find businesses in your industry)
• Content you share should be original
• Post original text/visuals, unauthorized use of content can result in legal penalties and google rankings falling
• Schedule your posts, this allows you to be organized and map out your social media strategy
• Share your website content through Facebook, this drives traffic to your website
• Share exclusive deals to Facebook followers only
• Follow other industry-related pages
• Respond to comments and engage with followers

By Chanelle Casserly, Perth Media intern