The TomCom Group

A Way Forward: Using Public Relations to build a holistic brand identity for the 21st Century

In this day and age, if you have a website, you will know all about Google search ranking, social media likes and web-based business-to-customer engagement.

In the past, there have been many a large variety of IT businesses offering services to elevate the Google search ranking of your website, usually at a cost the everyday business owner cannot afford.  This has created an online environment where large corporations who are able to spend exorbitant amounts of money each month to appear in the top ranking places of searches, which has lead to young and start-up businesses not being found online.  However, over the last 5 years, most major search engines have been revising the way they rank websites.

While most search engine optimisers believe, and therefore tend to advise their business owner clients, that there is no place for PR tools and tactics in the SEO sphere, you may find it interesting that PR professionals have been using traditional media channels for decades and have long since implemented many of the PR industry’s fundamental principals of publicity, copywriting, brand awareness, image building and public interaction when executing a fully integrated marketing, branding, image building and/or advertising campaign.

Sadly, traditional SEO is fully reliant on gimmicks and tricks which tend to have a very short shelf life. This, coupled with the rising economic need to reach as large an audience as possible in the hopes of generating business income, tends to create an SEO marketplace where the top search engine ranking slots are filled not by the companies that deliver exceptional service, but rather by the companies that are willing to spend more for these ranking slots.

Thanks to the developers of the internet’s largest search engines, this sad reality will soon be a concern of the past.  With the launch of the latest algorithms, SEO “Big Spenders” will see their ranking positions plummet and website with well-thought-out content, brand awareness on social media platforms and a positive online public image will rank higher on internet searches.

Here are some of the core requirements of any business with a need to enhance their brand exposure, build public loyalty and adapt to the changing landscape of the world wide web.

Brand Awareness: Without Joe Bloggs on the street being aware that your business exists and what services you have available, there is no possibility of him ever approaching you to service his needs.  You will need to define the key characteristics of your business as it currently stands.  Then compile any future growth you want to see in your business.  Both of these will be essential when drafting a Business Marketing and Brand Exposure Enhancement Strategy.

Web Content should be Measured by Quality, not by Quantity: The online landscape is full of users who only view posts, articles and websites that have stimulating, engaging and informative content.  The emerging trend with search engine ranking is based on the quality of content posted online and how it is received by your target audience.

Going Viral: Public perception of your business image, your product and service offering and the manner in which you engage with online users is a major factor in how your search engine ranking will be affected.  If you post, always aim to go viral!

Social Media Platforms as a Marketing Tool or Tactic: In less than a decade, social media platforms have emerged as the most utilised spaces on the internet.  The ethos of social media is based on building a following who trust and care about the products and/or services of the business they choose to patronise.  This method differs from traditional SEO in the manner that public feeling is taken into account, rather than where you are based in search engine rankings.  An added benefit here is that you always have information on how your target market views your business, which makes adapting to economic trends and market fluctuation simple and effortless.  PR firms, today, apply many techniques previously used in print media to engage your business following.  These techniques help promote your brand direction, enhance market exposure, relay current and up-to-date information quickly and cost-effectively and provides your business following with a platform to discuss and express views and offer ideas for future products or services.

Using Traditional Media Mediums in the 21st Century: Despite the exponential rate at which the internet grows and adapts daily, the traditional mediums of television and print are still very much alive and needed when implementing a broad-spectrum Business Marketing and Brand Exposure Enhancement Strategy. Community upliftment projects and non-profit organisations still utilise these traditional media mediums to gain exposure and inform potential supporters of new developments.  An easy and cost-effective tactic to enhance your brand image and showcase your business brand to a potential new market segment of like-minded philanthropic people is to develop a corporate social investment strategy, targeted at the types of community projects and organisations that you feel would represent your business brand image well.  By investing in the enhancement and development of the community in which your business is based, you are able to be a part of steering your community in a direction that will enhance the value of your business.  As most community upliftment organisations make use of both print and television media at their events, as a sponsor, you will benefit from any exposure received during the event.  A primary focus for your business brand image building is the use of standardised business cards, flyers, banners and printed marketing materials.  Once again, the content of these materials is measured rather in quality than quantity.  By standardising marketing material, graphics such as logos, product images and location maps, the end-user becomes familiar with your business’s Look & Feel, which in turn will create brand awareness and build a loyal following within your client base and target market.

So, how much value can be placed on word-of-mouth exposure? Well, the fact of the matter is that the measurement and assessment of word-of-mouth exposure is rather difficult and, as such, not too much focus should be placed on the analysing of and reporting on this.  Although, a customer will usually mention the quality of service they received during their engagement with a particular company to their social circle.

In this day and age, with social media apps at our fingertips, posting a short message of satisfaction, or dissatisfaction, can be done in seconds.  The truth is, people share their feelings about all experiences they have in life and, in the competitive world we find ourselves in, ensuring that every sales experience is a fulfilling one should be a primary focus.

So, the question you need to ask yourself is this:  Can your company really afford not to take a proactive position where building your brand image is concerned?

Take the risk, adapt to changing global trends but be sure to implement a strategy that utilises tried and tested PR tools and tactics.

Many of our clients ask us what the difference between a static and a dynamic website and which we feel they should opt for.  The first part of that question is easy to answer; the second part is less so because it depends on the particular needs of the client.

Let’s deal with the first part:

What is the difference?

The internet is full of static websites but, chances are, you won’t be able to tell a static site from a dynamic one right off the bat.  Once you get into it, however, if the site looks simple and serves the information without any bells and whistles, it’s likely you are viewing a static website.  

On the upside, a static site is quicker and cheaper to develop and, as a result, a lot of smaller businesses will start off with a static site, merely to get themselves an online presence.  On the downside, however, a static website can only really be updated by someone with a knowledge of web development and this can mean that the content stagnates, either because you find yourself in a “Content Management Queue” with your web development service provider or because you don’t know how to update it yourself, either of which can result in your website being less useful to the end-user.

Conversely, while a dynamic website can be more expensive to develop, there are many advantages to going this route.  In its simplest form, dynamic website owners can update their website content via a simple web browser interface (or admin panel).  This is useful for adding content like news articles, upcoming events and changing prices.  Some examples of dynamic website features include content management systems, e-commerce systems, forums, intranet facilities and social media platforms. To be honest, the only real limit to a dynamic website is your imagination.

So, that is the difference.  Now onto the second part of the question:

Which should you opt for?

As already mentioned, this is entirely up to you.  You will need to evaluate what you need your website to do and what your budget is.  If you have a relatively small budget and don’t have to update your content regularly, a static website will suit your needs perfectly.  However, bear in mind that a dynamic website can grow with your business.  Being database-driven, the content of your website can change on the fly, without needing to be updated manually.  For example, you can queue content to only display between certain dates, giving the impression that your website content is always “fresh” and this can drive users back to your website again and again to see what is new.

So, in conclusion, while a static website is a good place to start, a dynamic site can help take your website, and your business, to the next level, creating a professional, interesting online experience for your website users.

The TomCom Group, through our payment gateway partner, PayFast, has added the convenience of paying for our products and services by credit card (only MasterCard and Visa for the moment) or, if you bank with one of the "Big 4", via InstantEFT.  Visit TomCom.co.za for more info.

So finally after 3 weeks of murder, bloodshed, tears and hair pulled out of heads, the first lot of content is completed and the company website is finally live.

All this just in time for the great move East to Boksburg, where our little empire can finally settle in its long awaited new home. [Watch this space for pictures]