Category: Blog

Clairemont’s Tracy Lathan Featured as PRSA District Speaker

Cherith AndesAPR, Blog, The Clairemont Team, , , ,

Clairemont’s very own Tracy Lathan, APR, is stepping on stage as a featured speaker at the PRSA Southeast District Conference in Raleigh, N.C.

An account strategist at Clairemont Communications, Tracy brings a vast wealth of experience in the public relations industry. Prior to joining the Clairemont team, Tracy led integrated marketing programs for two Fortune 500 companies, John Deere and Target Corporation. She was responsible for planning and executing media events for John Deere’s new product launches, efforts that secured a PRSA Silver Anvil award. For Target, Tracy led media relations efforts, industry events and new initiatives targeting influencers and bloggers.

Tracy has been instrumental in creating Clairemont’s blogger engagement program, leading employee communications initiative for clients and providing strategic counsel to Clairemont’s retail, restaurant, education, design and real estate clients. In addition, Tracy currently serves as the accreditation chair on the NCPRSA Board of Directors.

As one of the area’s leading experts on APR, Tracy will be hosting a pre-conference session about the accreditation process, along with Eva Hornak, APR, and Stephanie Llorente, APR. This workshop will equip both students and professionals with strategies to prepare for the accreditation process and to build their accreditation portfolios.

Get all the details about the conference, coming April 18-20, 2018!

 

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Networking on Social Media

Clairemont InternBlog, Professional Development, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , ,

Most of us have swapped business cards at a networking event or connected with our fair share of people on LinkedIn. Both are so common in 2018 that one must look beyond the traditional outlets to forge and maximize professional associations.

Two words: social media.

How can one network on social media? Which begs another question: why should one network on social media? Statista.com gives us 2.46 billion reasons. According to Statista’s research from more than 18,000 sources, there were 2.46 billion social media users across the globe in 2017. And Statista’s projections for the next five years? Add at least another 500 million users to the number. In contrast, LinkedIn has less than 500 million users. With that amount of people available across the web, why wouldn’t you want to network on social media? Here are a few tips to get you started.

Twitter

Engage in Twitter chats: Check out this list of Twitter chats with numerous topics, dates and times. Twitter chats open the door to talk to thousands of people all over the world.
Create tweets that create conversation: Rather than making statements, craft tweets that include questions and prompt replies from your followers. And, no brainer, reply to those tweets you follow as well.
Follow people with whom you want to connect: If you have targeted professionals in mind , follow them on Twitter and engage with their tweets. Be sincere. Forbes shares a story about a woman who used Twitter to connect with the editor of a publication, hoping to get her work published. Her networking paid off as her writing was published and even retweeted by the editor.
#DotheHashtagThing: Whether you’re looking for similar accounts to follow or trends and current events, Twitter hashtags have you covered. Searching even the most basic hashtag will introduce you to new professionals in your industry, like-minded colleagues, potential mentors, media and thousands of related tweets internationally. Consider creating your own hashtag, something as simple as the abbreviation of your company or a tagline for your company. Of course, research your hashtag first.

Instagram

Utilize Instagram Direct Messaging to create a “pod:” Connect with similar accounts through hashtags and the Explore page on Instagram. Create a group message, or what is commonly known as an Instagram “pod,” with these accounts to share content and stay in contact on a regular basis. You can also use these pods to swap ideas, ask advice, questions and invite others to events.
#Utilize #hashtags: Similar to using hashtags for Twitter, utilizing hashtags on Instagram helps you find specific content and accounts on Instagram.

Facebook

Post job-related content: Post and share content on Facebook that will allow your friends to engage and relate. Making this content related to work will draw and maintain a professional presence — a point of reference for contacts.
Use Facebook to market yourself: Share content of your own on Facebook. This might include your published work or a past project. Utilize your platform to showcase your experience and talents with friends and those you consider professional contacts.
Create or join Facebook groups with other professionals: Similar to an Instagram pod, create or join a Facebook group with your professional contacts on Facebook. Use this platform to share relevant material related to your profession, share your own writing and work, and engage with your fellow professionals’ work on a regular basis.

Growing your professional presence on social media doesn’t stop here. Check out our blog post on branding yourself across all of your favorite social platforms.

Written by Clairemont intern, Kennedy Norton, a fashion blogger and junior at North Carolina State University.

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What Does a PR Agency Do? A Top-Selling Real Estate Community

Clairemont InternAwards, Blog, Case Studies, , , , , , , ,

Briar Chapel is one of largest master-planned green communities in North Carolina and part of Newland Communities, the country’s most prominent privately held residential real estate developer. As it approached its eighth year in business, the marketing team turned to Clairemont, its agency of record, to continue to position Briar Chapel as one of the Triangle’s most desirable living destinations.

Strategy

Clairemont crafted a strategy to reenergize Briar Chapel’s organizational identity through media relations, creative on-site events and community partnerships. Since research showed that target buyers valued self-expression and innovation along with a sense of community, our methods provided opportunities for prospects to interact and personally experience the relational atmosphere at Briar Chapel while highlighting its cutting-edge, customizable lifestyle offerings.

Execution

The Pepper Festival: Hosted on-site at Briar Chapel, the annual Pepper Festival celebrates local culture and food, featuring the largest chef competition in the state. As the team planned for the 9th Pepper Festival, Clairemont spiced up the event to increase attendance and gain stronger visibility for Briar Chapel. To connect with families, we launched the inaugural Spicy Kid Chef Competition, pairing top chefs with aspiring “Pint-Sized Chefs” and challenging the peppery pairs to craft their most creative pepper-themed dish. We tapped into the creative class by hosting a “Hot Glam Fashion Show” where designers showcased pepper-themed couture.

To boost online visibility and social sharing, Clairemont created an interactive personality quiz peppered with twists of wit; seven short questions posed unexpected queries and prescribed a pepper-themed personality type (like “Mild Child,” “Sweet Heat” or “Flame Thrower”), encouraging users to share their results and enter to win festival tickets. Creative and individualized pitches piqued the interest of target influencers. These efforts attracted a record 2,500 festivalgoers on-site to Briar Chapel and secured record coverage, including features in regional magazines and on TV segments.

Launching Veranda: As Briar Chapel prepared to unveil Veranda, its first commercial segment, Clairemont added zest to the strategy to snag the interest of media and guests. For example, we bypassed standard shovels at the ground-breaking ceremony and opted instead to put our officials at the helm of Bobcat excavators.

The ground-breaking ceremony secured visits from the Triangle’s top reporters through creative pitches and placed stories in almost all of the area’s major outlets. To foster community engagement before grand opening, Briar Chapel hosted “Meet the Neighbors,” inviting residents to enjoy complementary food, beverages, live music and services from their new Veranda neighbors at a block-style party. Veranda opened its doors as an attractor for homebuyers and destination for Chapel Hill visitors.

Partnerships and Community Events: To attract prospective homebuyers, Clairemont ditched blasé home tours and helped launch a series of creative on-site events. The team reinstated Music in the Meadow, an outdoor summer concert series featuring local bands, food trucks and family activities in Briar Chapel’s renowned parks. Briar Chapel also hosted a Triangle Off-Road Cyclists (TORC) race to attract the public on-site while showcasing its extensive trail system. Standard open-house weekends were transformed into interactive celebrations that offered guests guides to explore amenities and gift certificates to enjoy the shops and restaurants at Veranda, Briar Chapel’s new commercial segment.

Online Presence: Clairemont retooled Briar Chapel’s website content to reflect its innovative homes and the sense of community that target demographics prized. To boost reader interest, we transformed data into useful, creative content, such as a DIY home blog series, sneak peek tours of developments and resident spotlights on programs such as “Pooches on the Porch.”

Creative Media Pitches: Clairemont brainstormed creative angles beyond home construction to pique the interest of reporters throughout the year. Our pitches explored everything from Briar Chapel’s commitment to green building and its new age-qualified section to its active, vibrant vibe.

Results

In direct correlation with our stated objectives above, we met every goal, exceeded expectations and produced the following results:

  1. Clairemont secured a total of 36 news stories and blogs.
  2. Special events drew an additional 4,000 people on-site.
  3. Home sales increased by 49 percent in 2016.

As a result of this campaign, Clairemont successfully positioned Briar Chapel as one of the top places to live in the Triangle, which helped Briar Chapel meet its annual sales goal and earn the title of Best Neighborhood by Chapel Hill Magazine.

The work Clairemont Communications conducted in partnership with Briar Chapel earned a Gold Award in Organizational Identity/Promotion the Raleigh Public Relations Society. We are proud that this campaign represents two of the 175 awards we’ve received since starting Clairemont in 2010.

To read more about the work we do with clients, please visit the case study section of our blog.

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How To Host An Instagram Giveaway

Clairemont InternBlog, Marketing, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , ,

Insta giveaways can pack a punch, but if not carefully thought out, your business could run the risk of making an Instagram flop and losing time and resources. But have no fear. We’ve pulled together five steps to host the best Instagram giveaway yet:

Plan the Product

What can you offer that will be of value to your followers/customers? Is it an experience, a hallmark product you have in stock or a gift card to your location? Keep in mind, the larger dollar value behind the product, the more potential followership you can gain.

Plan the Timeline

Creating a timeline for your Instagram giveaway will prevent stress while the giveaway is live on your account. First, decide if you want to promote the giveaway on your Instagram account before the giveaway goes live. Then, choose your start date and time. Check your Insta business stats to choose a post time that garners the highest fan engagement. Consider posting a giveaway reminder, such as a promo on your Insta story or a second Insta feed post. A reminder serves to reach followers that might not have seen the giveaway when it was originally posted. Finally, choose the giveaway end date and when you’ll announce the winner(s). Most giveaways perform well when hosted over the course of a few days.

Plan the Announcement Photo

Spend time planning how you will display the product up for grabs. Include telltale words, like “giveaway,” somewhere in the actual photo, making a simple connection when your followers see the post at first glance. Promote the photo across other social media platforms,  encouraging followers from other social media sites to visit your Instagram page.

Plan the Caption

Instagram has specific guidelines for hosting giveaways. Make sure that your giveaway meets all of the requirements of Instagram. Requirements for entering the giveaway might include liking the photo, following your account, liking your last five photos, etc. Again, reference Insta’s rules, which prohibit encouraging people “to tag themselves in photos if they aren’t in the photo.” A finalized Instagram caption will typically follow this sequence: 1. Announcing your business is hosting a giveaway and what is being given. 2. Your requirements to enter the giveaway. 3. Instagram official terms (age requirement, location requirement, etc.).

Plan and Announce the Winner

It’s time to pick a winner! We suggest using sites like Rafflecopter or Random Name Picker to select a winner at random. Broadcasting this selection process via Instagram stories or Instagram Live will allow your followers to see that the giveaway winner was randomly selected and not specifically chosen. To announce the winner you can change the original caption of the giveaway photo and tag the winner to claim their prize, post a dedicated Instagram photo or broadcast the winner on an Instagram Live or story.

Time to get busy! While you’re planning, check out our post on how to take an Instagram-worthy photo to become a rockstar at taking photos for your feed.

Written by Clairemont intern, Kennedy Norton, a junior at North Carolina State University.

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Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust

Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, , , ,

Trust is the glue that holds relationships together. It’s the stuff that builds friendships and, coincidentally, great business partnerships.

In 2014, Rubin Postaer and Associates partnered with USA TODAY to conduct a survey on the current state of the client/agency relationship. What is the one factor they found that fosters the most success for both the client AND the agency? “Clients trusting their agencies.” It’s the naked truth.

Of course, it can take a while to get to that point, right? Strong, trusting relationships don’t develop overnight. It takes an intentional effort to get to know your clients and a true desire to solve their needs. Putting in the extra effort will pay off in the long run, though, and will likely result in more business on both sides in the future.

How to Make That Magic

When I worked with Disney, I learned the true meaning of a mutually beneficial relationship. I had to establish trust with my potential customers before I even began to sell them their best-fit ticket. The same principles that applied to my job as a vacation planner are the same ones that we use at Clairemont to build our long-standing relationships with clients. Here are some cornerstones of a solid agency-client relationship.

  1. Listen (actually listen) to their concerns. This doesn’t mean to smile and nod and start planning your reply the second the other person starts talking. Above all, the purpose of PR is to serve clients’ needs. So, be ready to actively listen, ask questions and confirm with the client before your brain starts running a mile a minute.
  2. Don’t promise something that you can’t deliver. If a client request is impractical or unlikely to succeed, be honest about it and suggest an alternative. Transparency, even when it involves sharing bad news, is infinitely better than promising something that never gets done.
  3. Be consistent. Communicate deadlines with your client and meet them with exceptional work. Return phone calls. Show up to meetings prepared and on time without fail. A series of small steps adds up to one giant leap towards a strong, trusting relationship.
  4. Constantly communicate. Throughout the project, the most important thing you can do is check in with the client. Is he or she getting the desired results? At the end, what did he or she wish had gone differently? What will you specifically adjust now or in future campaigns?
  5. Go the extra mile. Always. Do the extra work, the hard work, the creative work. Take genuine interest in them as a person (which we do!). As the saying goes, you’ve gotta be a friend to have a friend.

Itching for an agency you can trust? Let us show you how it’s done.

Written by Jessica Winesette, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

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