Earning Maximum ROI From Public Relations Strategy
HEYSCOTTIE CEO Rhonda Dibachi Shares Four-Step Multi-Million
Engagement Success Secrets
Challenge: Chicken versus Egg Conundrum
Emerging enterprises, particularly those on a fast-growth trajectory, face a common marketing challenge: how to extend brand recognition, industry leadership and market success as a relatively new industry entrant. To earn success, the entrepreneurial enterprise needs a high-performance solution. However, without market awareness, that solution remains a well-kept secret.
For STEM advocate, serial entrepreneur and manufacturing and AI expert Rhonda Dibachi, her latest enterprise offering, HeyScottie.com, offered an industry-first for the manufacturing sector: a comprehensive, lightning speed resource for securing reliable, quality coating and finishing solutions nationally in an industry all too used to clunky and unreliable local vendors providing uneven service through time-consuming hands-on delivery.
The challenge for HeyScottie.com and CEO Rhonda? To introduce a completely new, AI-driven solution for securing first-quality coating and finishing services in the manufacturing world – while heeding the entrepreneur’s pragmatic mantra of innovate more, spend less.
For this entrepreneur, the answer resided within the use of public relations and earned media results, but with the same strategically accelerated approach she applied to her previous startup successes.
Solution: Public Relations Strategies, Maximized
For Rhonda, the solution resided in the launch of a public relations campaign. Her strategy focused on the connection and cost-effectiveness of media coverage earned through public relations strategies:
The invaluable SEO benefits of media coverage, its preference by key search engines in ranking on the web and the relative permanence of published feature stories.
Lifetime value versus paid campaigns: while paid campaigns have benefits, when the budget is over so is the visibility. Not so with media coverage secured through public relations campaigns, a key element of digital marketing which can literally live on the web for years as a resource for the marketplace.
Credibility: industry prospects and decision makers value informative articles in the publications they trust. Being featured as an expert in these publications helps lay the foundation for awareness, trust and next steps in engagement – a critical launching point for an enterprise funnel conversion strategy (a very fancy way of saying “attracting new prospects”).
The Success Strategy: Four Key Actions
In order to see results from a public relations campaign, the first step is of course to select a reputable and results-focused public relations partner – in this case HeyScottie.com selected PRA Public Relations, an award-winning national agency with a focus on entrepreneurial performance. The goal was to secure key national and industry-focused media coverage designed to bring awareness and prospect engagement to the HeyScottie.com offering. Fortunately, Rhonda launched four key strategies designed to maximize ROI from the company’s public relations program:
Four Key PR Strategies: Maximizing Earned Media ROI
Broad Sector Thought Leadership
Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of only accepting media opportunities which directly address their solution or technology. Rhonda understood that building awareness, trust and relationships within her broader market of prospects, partners and investors was key, so she made herself available to journalists seeking expert insight around her broader areas of specialized knowledge: technology, manufacturing, artificial intelligence, executive leadership, STEM and entrepreneurial performance.
Flexibility and Response
Journalists on assignment often need expert insight ‘yesterday,’ so Rhonda made a point of meeting their deadlines and providing insight or written commentary for fast-response opportunities – a strong competitive advantage when other CEOs need weeks or months to schedule an interview.
Making Insights Accessible
As a nuclear engineer, artificial intelligence expert and manufacturing industry leader, Rhonda’s bona fides as a technologist are unsurpassed. However, she ensured the journalist – and the audience he or she represented – were never ‘left behind’ through dense technical jargon. Rhonda made a point of explaining things in clear language, checking in often with the journalist and using anecdotes which clarified her points.
Being an Idea Partner/Active Agency Engagement
Many enterprises hire a PR agency and employ a hands-off attitude with minimal involvement. Rhonda executed a proactive approach that included regular ideas sessions, and often asked for input on potential media conversation ideas. This not only ensured the agency was thoroughly current on the topics Rhonda could address, it also provided energy and enthusiasm for her communications team – intangibles which can be critical for success.
The Success Outcome
So how did the HeyScottie.com strategy of active engagement in its public relations program fare? The data speaks for its (successful) self:
Length of program to date: eight months
Number of media opportunities published: 66
Reader/viewer engagements: 3.47 million
% Revenue Increase: With similar investments in PR and digital advertising, HeyScottie realized an 80X return on investment from the company’s public relations program results over web-based ad campaigns.
Key Media Wins, including:
Associated Press
Forbes (multiple)
And more.
Summary
While public relations agencies are responsible for driving program success and delivering results, strategic and effective client partners can significantly accelerate and maximize their communications and marketing campaign ROI by employing a proactive strategy of accessibility, flexibility and resourcefulness to their media coverage investment. This approach can make the difference between an agency relationship with ‘occasional’ media wins and an accelerated program that delivers outsized results thanks to a collaborative and engaged agency and enterprise relationship.
Notes HeyScottie CEO Rhonda Dibachi in closing:
“Pam and her team have helped me get noticed, get published, and monetize these results. Their work has delivered an ROI that's a whopping 80 times better than Google AdWords. They've not only polished my image, delivery, and message but have taught me extra-secret special knowledge that only true PR professionals know. They know what they’re doing, communicate well and have become a trusted partner. And those are hard to come by.”
