The first Bridge in my career

Natalie Hunt, Bridge Account Executive one year on…

“Metaphorically speaking, a career is like a journey of bridges which you have to cross. Some long, some short, and some overwhelmingly high. A year ago I had just stepped foot upon my first real ‘Career Bridge’… at Bridge PR & Media Services.

“You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”

By applying for an internship at Bridge, I was taking a huge risk. At the time of graduating I was getting paid to do some communications work at a company in Manchester. However it didn’t completely fulfil my appetite for creativity. Bridge was enrolling for an intern, and the prospect thrilled me. I knew that if I wanted to get to the other side then I had to be prepared to take a risk, as I wasn’t going to land my dream job in PR if I possessed diddly squat experience in it. So I moved back down to the Midlands and propelled myself into the world of PR – something I had only experienced within a module at University.

Studying a Journalism degree equipped me with the tools I needed to succeed in the world of PR. With my news head firmly screwed on and my research skills fresh from 12 months immersed in my dissertation, I began crafting press releases with relevant and interesting angles.

After a month interning for Bridge, I was offered a permanent position which I snapped up straight away. I already felt part of the team.

Relationships are essential in the world of PR and marketing. Initially I was daunted by networking events in suits, and calling journalists to see if they would be interested in a story. But then I realised, each client, journalist, or prospect I deal with is a person too, and developing a relationship with them, makes the object so much easier to achieve. For example spotting the stories in a business, getting specific requests from journalists, or getting your services noticed comes far easier if there is already some form of a relationship established. And a lot of this can come through social media. You can start generic conversations with the people who you want to notice you! (@natters4 follow me ;))

I think a common misconception of PR is that you just send a press release out to the masses and expect them all to pick it up. Each publication has its own style and identity (something I learnt on work experience for a local newspaper) and it is important that as a PR professional you mould the story to fit their style.

Since working for Bridge, I have learnt far more than just public relations. For example I have learnt about business strategy, marketing, and social media.

Working for Bridge has allowed my business sense to develop into an exciting direction. My client base includes a B2B market and I have had to learn a lot about business processes etc. I have attended many networking events and more recently an economic Chamber conference where I learned a great deal about the business economy, and I’m now even being asked to talk about my experiences at undergraduate seminars in journalism, media and communications. I’m also currently working hard to further develop my business knowledge academically outside of the workplace.

Right now I love coming to work every day to eat up every challenge that I face. Bridge is a stimulating place to work at the moment, and we face some big and exciting Bridges as a company. Watch this space to see what I write in my second year review…”

Why you should be using social media before your competitors

Once upon a time the internet was deemed unnecessary, now it’s literally everywhere! So if your business isn’t using social media yet, why don’t you leap ahead of your competitors and make your mark…?

We’ve been working with businesses on social media for quite some time now and if we could have a pound for every time we have heard a company state “Social media isn’t for business, it can’t do anything for us!”, then we’d all be happily retired and tweeting from a beach in Mauritius. Unfortunately, reality works a little differently and we are still definitely all in Coventry. However, we have compiled a list of reasons as to why you need to be ahead of your competitors in the social media marathon.

1. Lead the conversations

If you get in there before your competitors then you can lead the conversational topics around things relevant to your business. For example if you are using Twitter then you can demonstrate your expertise through various hashtags regularly and businesses will begin to recognise you as a leader in your field.

2. You’re seen as forward thinking

Take yourself back to school. There was always a kid who was first to have the new trainers, or listened to a certain band before they were played on the radio. He was always deemed the ‘coolest kid in the school’ because he was setting a trend that others wanted to follow. Similarly, becoming competent with your social media repertoire before competitors will give your business a ‘cool factor’ and place you ahead of others as a forward thinking business.

3. Engage with customers

A massive 61% of UK adults were reported to be using social media in 2011, and this will have increased since then. Regardless of whether they operate personal or business accounts, that is a large sector of the population. You only have to see the huge increase of users each year to understand that it will not be long before it is saturated. Among all these users lie your customers – so why wouldn’t you want to be there too?

4. Be seen for free!

Social media accounts cost nothing to set up, however they have room to include all your branding and company news. It only makes sense to be visible in the social media spectrum.  It’s also one of the most cost effective marketing tools for raising the profile of your brand.

How has it helped some of our clients??

The Good Garage Scheme

Manchetts Garage based in Cambridge and Newmarket was already aware of the Good Garage Scheme but was unsure of the member benefits. The independent garage already had its own Twitter account, from which it regularly tweeted special offers and blog posts.  Upon seeing a number of consistently informative tweets from the Good Garage Scheme, Manchetts sent a direct message over the network to enquire about becoming a member.

Titanic Heritage Trust

The Titanic Heritage Trust has been part of an exhibition in Smethwick this year as part of the centenary to commemorate the sinking of the famous liner. We have been helping them with their social media, and they have had a number of visitors to the exhibition who became aware of it through its Twitter page.

Netmetix

In April one of our clients, which is an IT solutions provider, ran a seminar on cloud computing. This was publicised through Twitter and many of the attendees were able to sign up straight through the link in one of the tweets.

 

How you can get started in social media marketing

Bridge has been asked by Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber to run a FREE half day workshop on 3^rd September to be held at the Quality Hotel, just off the A45.  This will give you all you need to get started on social media for your business.  More details coming soon, so keep an eye on this blog and our website.

Social media and PR – evolution and revolution

Digital and social media are turning how we access our news on its head and I’m often asked is it a PR evolution or revolution.

The simple answer is it’s both. Digital and social media’s interactive nature is having a huge impact on the way news is delivered and in online advertising.

Many newspapers are finding this out the hard way at the moment but many businesses are embracing the digital age as they look to new and cost-effective ways to market themselves.

At a recent presentation I delivered to 38 SMEs on the importance of a digital presence, I was surprised at how many start-ups had already started to use social media as a cost-effective marketing tool.

They are already using the likes of Twitter and Linked In to great effect – something which we at Bridge PR have long been advocates of.

So yes, the revolution has started as SMEs evolve their marketing approaches. By defining their marketing mix, which includes social media, digital PR, traditional PR and search engine optimisation, businesses, however small can make real inroads in creating their brand identity and raising their profile.

Many have made a start and our aim at Bridge PR, as one of the of the forerunners in helping businesses with new media and new media training, is to help them make the most of these new marketing tools which can give them a more competitive edge without breaking the bank.

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Coventry communications firm helps SMEs in digital age

A host of new Coventry and Warwickshire SMEs have been finding out how social media can help kick-start their businesses.

 Around 40 start-up businesses from the region attended a presentation from experts at Coventry-based Bridge PR on building their digital presence to help succeed.

 The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber-backed event at the Brooklands Grange Hotel, Holyhead Road, heard from Bridge PR’s commercial director Denise Taylor how social and digital media tools could help build their brand identity and raise their profile.

 “Digital and social media are turning how we access news on its head and companies need to look at how they fit these tools into their overall marketing strategies to create their brand indentities and raise their profile.

 “Bridge PR is one of the forerunners in helping businesses with new media and new media training and delegates at our event heard how they could use social media tools cost-effectively to their best advantage.”

 Gary Lillistone, managing director of Bridge PR, said: “It was surprising to here that a lot of start-ups are already tentatively using these new media marketing tools. Our aim is to help them refine how they use these tools to their advantage to give them a competitive edge in what is still a challenging trading climate.”

Digital age Marketing Mission

New customers are the lifeblood of small and medium-sized companies but staggeringly nearly half don’t know how to market themselves effectively.

The Barclays Local Business Survey, launched with The Times earlier this year, revealed that 44 per cent of the survey’s 3,675 respondents said marketing was the skill most lacking in their business.

And that can cause a major problem for SMEs struggling to survive and claw their way out of the recession. So where do they turn for cost-effective help to get themselves noticed by the widest possible audience?

Our approach at Bridge PR goes beyond the traditional realms of public relations, using the most sophisticated tools to help clients maximise their potential. As is often the case, keeping up with, and keeping on top of technology achieves the best results.

Digital marketing is emerging as an increasingly important tool across a range of industry sectors, with the internet opening up host of opportunities for business owners to access wider markets. Bridge PR is leading the way in helping clients nurture social media and digital marketing to get noticed.

With our expertise and as an established member of Business Link, we are ideally placed to provide information on funding opportunities available to companies to market themselves better in the digital world.

Business Link’s Director Development Programme (DDP) is awarding £500 to firms with five or more employees (but it’s up to a total of £1500 if you put in £500) and we are providing PR and Social Media courses and strategic plans for directors to develop their businesses.

Through our courses, we are helping even the smallest companies embrace the internet and tap into new opportunities.

With more than 70 per cent of the UK population now online and spending an average of 33 hours a month surfing the internet, the opportunities for business are clear and Bridge PR is ideally placed to help SMEs seize them and emerge stronger from the recession.

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