Social Media Etiquette

So social media has just about infiltrated its way into the heart of human life; almost everyone uses social media to some extent; maybe you only use one social media platform and/or you only post to your social media account(s) once every few months. Regardless of how much you are invested in social media, there are certain unwritten rules, or social media etiquettes, that those of us who do use are expected to obey. Whether you are in the world of PR like franchise PR or marketing or some other vocation, on your personal social media accounts, you should be doing your own PR by following social media etiquette.

1. Be careful who you friend/follow. This day and age of social media, we like to be popular on those platforms; the idea of having thousands of "friends" or followers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. are very intriguing and exciting. However, the people you friend/follow or let follow you can bite you in return. When people, like potential employers, see you following someone or someone following you who is less than respectful or appropriate, it can look bad on you. 
2. Be careful of what you post. It can be easy and even tempting to post something on social media when we are angry, sad, or intoxicated but these can be less than opportunistic times to post to social media. If you are angry at someone and decide to post it on one of your accounts, then someone else can see it and it can become popular and you can get stuck in a bad situation later; even if you delete the posting but someone shared it already, then there is not much you can do to undo the damage. Poorly planned social media posts have gotten people in trouble many times. 
3. Take a deep breath. This is almost a sub point of the second point because it is more focused on the posting while angry point. If someone posts on social media and the post offends you in some way, take a deep breath and walk away for a few minutes or even longer. Posting something while angry might feel good in the moment but it will not del so good later on when you have calmed down (and especially if there are repercussions from your post). 
4. Watch the photos. Posting photos on social media is half the fun of social media but some photos we take should not go up there. A classic example of photos to watch out for are the ones that were taken while intoxicated. Sure, the times were fun but posting a photo on social media of someone, or even yourself, being drunk or foolish might not be so fun later on. A big thing to consider if you do indeed do this is whether or not to tag someone; you do not know who that person is fiends with or what they are allowed to post so don't post without their consent. 

As someone at a franchise PR agency, I can tell you that social media etiquette is not just for those who take social media seriously, it is for those who don't want to have lame regrets later on from something they could've totally avoided. 

Successful Uses of Social Media in Franchise PR

Social media is all about being out there in the open. Being out there in front of people. So naturally, social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and others are great for keeping your franchise public relations efforts in front of people. In addition to getting you noticed by the general public in an easy way, it is a great way to monitor the talk about your company and do any necessary damage control or crisis communications. 

So what are some ways that social media can really make an impact for your franchise PR efforts?

1. Monitor the chatter about your brand. People talk about companies on social media all the time; if you were to do a search for a company on twitter or FB, you would find they name coming up in tweets and posts and not just the ones coming from that particular company. You will be able to find their name and keywords there. So, you can see what people are saying about the brand, their thoughts, and who is a fan. 
2. Sharing the news. When you have something good happen or other news related about your company, social media is there for you to use as a vessel to let people know. Another great reason to spread the good news is for other companies (that you're friends with) and let people know you support other business. It looks really good for your company to show love to other companies. 
3. Post photos of interviews with exciting photos. When you have an interview with someone, take a picture of them with the interviewer and post it on your social media accounts, especially Instagram, as a way to promote the interview so people will watch it or read about it. 
4. Have special news exclusively for social media. Try to create a few special messages for social media when doing an interview or other events; include a sit for social media messaging. Write some tweets or FB posts about the information and just copy it onto your social media accounts. Why do this? It will help spread the news and doing so in an easy way. 
5. Let people know you're a resource. Journalists have resources to turn to for information that they need for stories; with your social media, you can establish yourself as a source for journalists. Check out their conversation about your industry and see what is happening. See when they turn to twitter for a request of information because you can be the first one to respond if you're fast enough. 
6. Keep watch for opportunities. Browse social media for journalist inquiries and insert yourself for your client and get them noticed. 

Social media is not just for fun and for the kiddos; it can be a real asset for a franchise PR agency and help them increase their results for getting clients noticed and their brands. 

10 of the Biggest PR Disasters of the 2000s

Companies all have good ideas and they have bad ideas. Sometimes something looks good on paper and then loses its luster when you see it actually play out. We see companies have a PR crisis that was either created by their own hands or by the hands of someone else; regardless, when a company has a PR crisis, it must be fixed.

In this post we will review ten of the worst public relations disasters of the last 13 years and take a walk down memory lane. These are not necessarily in a ranking of worst to less worst, etc. They are just a collection of unfortunate corporate moments; you get to decide which was the worst!

1. The Bridgestone Tire fiasco. Remember this one? In 2000, Bridgestone had numerous reports about having tires that they made blowout while being driven; one car that had trouble with these tires in particular was the Ford Explorer. The problem had apparently started before 2000 but it was not acknowledged until that year when there was an investigation. It was reported that the tires had caused 200 deaths. 
2. Smoking has positive effects remark. Back in the early 2000s, 2001 to be exact, Philip Morris made a remarks that took many people by surprise; Philip Morris said that smoking would actually be good for the world because of how it caused early deaths of smokers. What was their reasoning for this? They tried to say that the early deaths would save millions in healthcare costs. 
3. Poor child attire for Abercrombie & Fitch. Still, even after hearing of lash back from consumers against other clothing makers, A&F decided that making thongs and racist shirts for their clientele would be a wise idea. First, they released the shirts and thought that people would enjoy them. After the backlash, they decided to release the thongs. Yes, they tried to defend both decisions. 
4. The racist board game. Remember this one? Maybe or maybe not, this one gained awareness but not as much as the previous PR faux pas. In 2003, Urban Outfitters decided to sell their own version of Monopoly called "Ghettopoly." You would steal property, get your neighborhood addicted to crack, etc. 
5. Janet & JT wardrobe malfunction. In the 2004 Super Bowl half-time show, Timberlake was supposed to rip off part of Janet Jackson's jacket and reveal… something. Well, a little more came off than what was expected and her breast was briefly exposed; people quickly then dubbed this Nipplegate. 
6. Terrell Owens & Nicollette Sheridan ad. Soon after Janet & JT debacle, ABC aired a commercial that featured Terrell Owens and Nicollette Sheridan in the Eagles locker room; Sheridan was supposed to be seducing T.O. This might not have been a great idea at any time but so soon after the Super Bowl half-time show ordeal? It flopped real quick. 
7. Cartoon Network & bomb confusion. In 2007, Cartoon Network decided to do some guerrilla marketing for their show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" by placing little light-up signs around Boston in various spots. Unfortunately, they did not have enough context or explanation and so many residents confused the signs with bomb danger. 
8. JetBlue holds passengers on planes for 11 hours. In 2007, JetBlue flights at JFK were held up for a whopping 11 hours on the runway. Why? Well, for good reason, there was nasty weather and the flights could not take off. However, the problem was in their decision to not return to the gates to let passengers leave but rather keep them on the planes the whole 11 hours. 
9. Pleases & thank you's of bailout money. In 2008, the Great Recession was in full swing and many huge corporations were in financial trouble. Fortunately, the government had offered bailout money to the companies that needed it to stay in business. The problem was how some of them asked for it and how some of them showed their thank you's. 
1. How they asked for it: Automakers Chrysler, GM, and Ford flew to D.C. on private jets to ask for the bailout money. Yes, luxurious private jets. 
2. How they said thank you: AIG threw a company retreat at the renowned St. Regis in California that totaled $443,300. 
10. Dominoes started to fall. In 2009, two Domino's employees posted videos on the web of them doing rather distasteful things The videos went viral & it took Domino's two days to respond to the issue; by the time they did, the damage was already done and almost unfixable. 

The world of public relations is sometimes a tough one and with the world being more technological than ever, PR has gotten both easier and harder. The world of franchise PR is in the same boat. If you are looking for a franchise PR firm to help your company gain exposure and be prepared for a fiasco, then hire All Points PR - a Chicago franchise public relations agency. 

Want a Career in Franchise PR?

The idea of being a PRP in franchise PR sounds so cool. Think about it, you are doing public relations, closely related to marketing, and talking on your phone about how you will make sure that your client will be famous! Your client will not get bad press! Yeah, it sure sounds cool being the go-to guy for a corporation while the media gulps down the news about their recent purchase of a competitor or something. While the scenarios are certainly possible and do happen in franchise public relations or other forms of PR, it is not always the glitz and glamor that many people think it is.

A career in public relations, especially franchise PR, is a job that you have to be tough to succeed in. We're not talking physically tough but rather emotionally and professionally. There are a few characteristics that one must meet in order to be good or even great in PR.

• Patience. If you expect to be a successful PRP in franchise public relations, you have to be patient. Things take time, journalists have a lot of things to do and basically a few hours to get it all done. They operate under heavy deadlines and so sometimes a PRP is not their top priority. Another aspect of this is being patient in getting your story accepted by a journalist. 
• Persistence. This was hinted at in the first point but it is another necessary characteristic for a PRP. Sometimes you will have a great piece and need it to be accepted by a journalist. You will be turned down by journalists; it might take a couple days to get a story submitted to a journalist, you just have to be persistent. The key is to stay on their radar while not being overwhelming; if you are too overwhelming, they will just deny you all together. 
• Communication. If you want to be good in PR then you have to be able to communicate. Ask questions. Inform people of things going on. Email people. Call people. Whatever needs to be done to keep people in the know, get it done. If you leave people in the dark, you will soon find that you have nobody to inform because they have all left you for another franchise PR agency. 
• Writing. The ability to write is essential to PR. Specifically, the ability to write stories and compelling stuff is essential. If you can't write, you need to learn if you want to be in PR. 
• Ethical behavior. If you think you will be that sly wheelin' & dealin' PRP who can make himself rich while exploiting others, good luck getting hired by a PR agency. Any respectable and known PR agency has ethics and morals. The governing body of PR,  PRSA, has a set of rules set in place that PR agencies have to abide by. 

We are a full-service chicago franchise PR firm. We do social media PR, crisis communications, grassroots PR, business, and more.  

Why Should I Get A Franchise Public Relations Team?

What is the point of getting a franchise public relations team for your company? Well, there are a lot of reasons, my friend. See, a public relations franchise team can do a lot to protect your business and give you direction about what to do next in order to grow. Let's explore the reasons your company should buddy up with a PR firm.

The first reason your company should team up with a franchise PR firm is because the PR firm can protect your company. When things happen and there is a hoopla about the outcome, your company will need somebody who knows how to handle the media and the angry mob of consumers outside your door. Having a PR firm by your side who can handle crisis communication is going to do a lot of good in the long run. The media will want answers and with the help your PR team, you will be able to give the right answers.

The second reason your company should hire a franchise PR team is because they will get your name out there. The people at the public relations firm will work night and day trying to get your name in front of the media; this gets your company's name in the newspaper, magazines, radio, and television. Yeah, your company could be doing a segment on the news stations in your area and, if awesome enough, perhaps national media. This will greatly increase potential business opportunities since more results when they promise to get your in front of the eyes of your publics, or, people you want to be your customer.
people will know your business exists; let's be honest, a lot of times, the reason a business struggles is because they are unknown to many (as long as they do indeed have a good product/service). A PR firm can get

The third reason your company should dire a franchise PR firm is because they will give your direction on what to do next. This is an ambiguous statement so I'll explain further; the PR team can help you decide what would be a good way to promote your company. This is more marketing related than PR but a good PR firm will either know this knowledge or at least have marketing people working there to give their input.

Still not sure why your company should hire a PR firm to help your business? Do some research and you will see. If you have any questions, contact All Points PR, a full-service Chicago franchise PR firm .

What is Franchise Public Relations? Let Me Tell You!

What is public relations? Well, there is a saying that says if you ask ten different people what public relations is, you will get ten different answers. The truth is, a lot of people do not know the definition of franchise public relations and even a few people in the public relations world do not know. It is seen as such a vague industry that it is hard to understand what franchise industry PR exactly is.

So what is franchise PR? Well, a basic definition of PR is, "The ability and duty to shape and maintain the image of a company or person (so they appear favorably in the eyes of the public.)" The part within the parentheses is more of an unwritten part; PR does not mean sweeping things under the rug and telling lies in order for a client to appear well in front of publics, or the client's target market, or anything unethical; what public relations is intended to do is help a company or person maintain an image they want. Helping someone or something maintain an image means to get their good news out to the world, get their name in front of people, and to limit damage that can be caused by bad publicity. But I will say it again, an ethical public relations practitioner does not lie or fabricate information for the sake of their client's image.

So how did franchise public relations come to life? It all started back in the early 20th century when mass media was coming around. At the time, "muckraking" was a popular form of journalism; muckraking was when journalists would dig up information about companies or people and then publish it in their stories. It got especially bad when muckraking journalists began fabricating some of the information for their stories. However, the vast majority of the stories were true but still dangerous for the success of the companies that were exposed. Consequently, Ivy Lee, a well renowned journalist and pioneer PRP, wrote a press release defending his targeted clients and helped protect their images. Once the public relations bug caught on, more and more people joined the industry and companies were getting the defenses that they so dreadfully needed.

Public relations practitioners began getting so good at what they did that people starting calling them "spin doctors" because of how well they could spin bad publicity into something good or at least justifiable.

In today's franchise PR firms, PRPs do so much more than just write press releases for newspapers and magazines; they are required to understand the needs and desires of their client's and their client's target markets. Why do they have to know those things? Because the knowledge of those things helps the PRP do the best work for their client. Public relations requires that PRPs form relationships with their client's target markets and do things for the client that please the markets. PR stunts are often the result of this duty. As you know, PR stunts incorporate some marketing concepts so PRPs now have to have at least a bit of a grasp of marketing. PRPs also have to be salesmen; they have to be able to sell their stories to the media and get the media to broadcast information regarding their client. Franchise industry PR firms also need to be able to be a counselor for when there is a crisis that needs to be taken care of.

As a Chicago franchise PR firm and Chicago crisis communications agency, All Points PR has a lot of knowledge in this field and as a full-service PR firm, loves helping those who need the defense of a PR team.

Getting Into Franchise PR? Here's How to Be Great

Franchise public relations is an industry that requires people to be on top of their game; when people get into PR, some think that it is just about writing some press releases and having some marketing knowledge. Well, while those things are important facets of public relations, they are not everything one needs to know in order to be great at their franchise PR firm.

There are several things one can know to do to be good as a public relations professional, if not a great one.

1. Absorb information from things you read and see. Try to observe the scenery around you and read books and guides about the industry. Perhaps even watch and study those in the industry who are well respected for their franchise PR duties. If you soak up that information and try to implement it, you will learn the great skills of PR in no time. Those who do not get good at public relations are the people who do not try; if you try and want to learn, then you will have no choice but to learn. 
2. Remain current. Few things are more embarrassing than someone who is not on top of the events going on in the world. Would you want to talk to a public relations professional who doesn't know what is happening in the news? No, you would laugh at them. Stay on top of what is going in the world; read newspapers, magazines, watch the news, etc. If something is talking about what is going on in the world, as long as you know it is credible, read it and take in that information. The media wants to talk to someone who is an expert at stuff, by staying current you will be that expert. 
3. Be able to multitask or watch out for being drained of energy from not knowing how to prioritize and manage work. At this Chicago franchise public relations firm, we know that the ability to multitask and manage is one of the few things that helps you keep your head on straight; PR is not a business that is predictable or formulaic, it is anything but. Know when to do what and how to do it. 
4. Know how to write. As an employee in a franchise industry PR firm, you have to know how to write. It's as simple as that. If you cannot write a press release or how to write engaging material, people won't want to read your pitches because they will laugh at you. it sounds harsh but it's a reality. The media wants to be engaged when you email them, show them your releases, and when they come to you for information. You wouldn't try to become a NASCAR driver if you didn't know how to drive, would you? Well, maybe, but you wouldn't be able to win any races. 
5. Be composed. This one kind of plays off of the point in number three. Being able to keep calm and composed during a crisis is the only way you can sanely get things done. If there is a crisis with a client, they will turn to you to handle the situation; if you are freaking out as much or more than they are, then they won't want to use you. Also, PR is a stressful business, no doubt about it; you have to be able to keep a level head and keep going. A stressed PRP is a bad PRP. 
6. Get up after being knocked down. You will make mistakes as a PRP, it is bound to happen. The key to recovering from mistakes is to learn from what you did and make sure that you do not copy that mistake next time you get in a similar scenario. 

Now, go out there and be the best franchise PR professional you can be. Learn, do, and plan. As a Chicago franchise PR firm, we know all about the public relations world and love helping people with PR needs. 

Social Media: Friend or Foe?

Social media has enabled companies in the world to be able to update information and their consumers with a few clicks on a computer or on a smartphone. In today's society, businesses are connected with their consumers, and even people outside their markets, in ways they were not connected to them just seven or eight years ago.

There are a lot of benefits to the emergence of social media and how it has impacted the marketing and public relations worlds; with the use of social media, it has become much easier for companies to make announcements, to interact and promote, and to do branding. When social media showed that it was here to stay and that it was worth utilizing, companies jumped on board real quick.

 It was not too long after that companies realized they could use social media to announce news for the company that would help with their marketing and public relations. How easy was it for companies to pull up their Facebook or Twitter, type up something like, "We're moving offices! Look for our new offices a few blocks down the street." or something like that. Now, of course they would take the time to stage more formal announcements but they could still use social media to announce the announcement.

A second reason social media can be a friend to companies is that it has made it much easier to connect with consumers and even easier to promote. Say a company has a contest they want their consumers to know about, they can promote the contest on their social media accounts. Better yet, with social media, companies can actually hold things like contests on social media, not just promote it. Companies have used the social media platform Instagram for contests that include consumers sending in pictures of that company's product in creative ways. Celebrities use social media to interact with their fans and thus actually promote themselves with some good PR.

So now that we have given a couple reasons why social media is a friend to companies, we must also look at the other side of the coin and realize that social media can also be a foe.

The first reason social media can be a foe is because everything you do on social media is seen by everyone, unless you have your profiles locked, but companies and celebs can't lock their public social media or they would not benefit from social media. Consequently, anything companies say on their social media is visible by all their followers and even people who do not follow them because users can find their posts just by searching for words used in their posts. Many companies have gotten in trouble for things they have posted on their social media accounts and the backlash that ensued.

A second reason social media can be a foe is because users of social media can be merciless. Should a company make a faux pas on social media, it can be a real bad time for the company in the following hours, days, weeks, or months. The power one holds when behind a keyboard & screen is amazing.

So while social media has become part of our world and it looks like it is here to stay, just remember that it can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you use it. Just be aware that it can be a tremendous friend or foe and to be aware of how you conduct yourself on social media.

Why Is Social Media Important?

Franchise PR has evolved over the years and become more digital and because of this, it has seen a lot of changes. One of the changes in the public relations has been the addition of social media. Social media is a powerful, powerful tool for companies to use because it enables companies to give news in real time and engage with consumers.

The ability to give news in real time and directly engage with consumers means giving companies a face, a personal image that people can see; it gives a whole new level to branding and public relations.

The reason being able to tell news in real time is because it reduces the likelihood of people making up their own stories in the time it takes between news breaking and for the story to be published. Since newspapers cannot rewind time and reprint that morning's paper, they have to run the story the next morning; while electronic newspapers have reduced this publication time, social media can still be and often is still faster. With the ability to type up a tweet, Facebook post, Instagram post all within a few seconds, no more 10 seconds, it is very easy to get news out there. Franchise Public Relations depends on quick response times and having accurate news. Perhaps the biggest principle in public relations is being quick to respond to news, good or bad, especially bad.

Social media has improved quick response times exponentially. For example, after an airline had a plane have a nose-landing at a runway at La Guardia airport, the airline immediately tweeted about the incident and let people know. Without social media, breaking the news of the plane's nose-landing would have taken longer.

Another reason social media has helped franchise public relations firms and companies in general is the ability to engage with consumers. With social media, consumers can voice themselves and let companies know about their complaints, praises, inquiries, etc and have them go directly to the company, who can then respond. Consumers can have conversations with companies. For public relations, the same idea applies; specifically, PR firms can have interaction with fellow PR firms and the media and get news out faster and accurately.

What is Public Relations?

What is public relations? Many people have this question and it is difficult to answer for those who do not know. Many people think that public relations is the same as marketing and advertising; while they are similar in theory, they are different practices entirely. It is said that PR is something you do not pay for while marketing is something you have to pay for. Also, advertising and marketing seek to control the conversation and message while PR communicates and builds relationships with target markets, or publics, and opinion leaders of the public.

Of course, to answer the question, "What is PR?" We have to dive deeper and explain what public relations  practitioners can do and not do. What franchise industry PR can do is to help build and maintain a good image for a company and/or person. One thing the PR firm must do for this is to build credibility for the client. The reason the firm must build credibility for the client is because it helps with the client's persuasion and builds trust and power behind the client's words.

 A second task of a PRP for a client is manage the client's reputation; this means to build and maintain. If a client wants to appear generous, then the franchise PR agency will create PR opportunities or capitalize on good moments. People sometimes think that PR stunts are negative but this is not true, when a PR firm does a PR stunt, it can be for pure promotion of an event, etc and not to cover up or create anything bad. The negative connotation of PR stunts typically comes from the PR stunts that are done for celebrities. But back to the main point that franchise public relations firms do use and create moments for reputations is often good.

 A third task of a PRP is to inform public opinion and create understanding. When publics, or consumers, don't understand something a company is doing, it is up to the franchise PR firm to resolute the questions and issues.

 A fourth task of a PRP is to create unity among people. For example, a PRP at a company is supposed to create loyalty, a whole-hearted volunteer effort, etc. They are supposed to create that sense of "togetherness" for a company so they will perform better. A common misconception of public relations is that it is supposed to cover up mistakes and faux pas of companies; this is not true at all, at least not for PR firms that believe in ethics. Ethical PRPs know that you do not sweep anything under the rug but rather you acknowledge the error. resolve it, and move on. Ignoring an issue or covering it up is a huge mistake and creates a bad reputation, worse than the original error. 

Hopefully this blog helped you understand what public relations is and now you can sleep peacefully knowing what it is and how it's different than advertising and marketing.

Public Relations and Social Media

Sometimes the world of public relations can become a world of stress when the outcome to a situation is not exactly what you planned for; or, when you have a situation handed to you, the PRP, and you have this massive job of getting it done and quickly. In history, there have been plenty of PR faux pas and they have costed companies business or worse, their reputation.

Social media has become a great tool for everybody. Companies use it for marketing, public relations , keeping up on current events, music, etc. If you have a message to get out there, even if it's for personal usage, then social media is most likely your best friend. Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Youtube, Pinterest, etc have become assets for companies, especially marketing and Franchise PR Firms who want a free, easy way to do what they have been doing for decades.

When you have a mistake in PR, you have to be proactive and not wait to respond; waiting to respond or denying a response to a situation, it makes the situation look a whole lot worse, this is especially true when the PR faux pas happens on social media and/or the way to fix it is via social media. Every major PR firm knows that the best way to start a good response to a situation is to gather the facts, understand what is going on, and issue a response of integrity. Firms know that people who do not respond to a situation often have something to hide, or, they are irresponsible at conducting themselves, either way, it is not a good way to keep a good reputation. If the best way to keep your good reputation is to own your mistakes and the consequences, then that's what you have to do. Crisis Management teams know they have to be on top of their game and not slack off if they want to succeed, same applies for any other firm.

Social media is a great tool for PR firms since Twitter is designed for things like conversations about companies and especially for companies to interact with their followers/consumers. Unfortunately, companies have to be careful how they handle designed hashtag conversations on Twitter for PR purposes because they can go wrong quickly. When this happens, make sure to watch the conversation and where it is going before it goes wrong. If it does go wrong, then be proactive and try to correct the conversation.

A good idea for PR via social media is to organize things on a social media site, for example, if a company is releasing a new product, you can give exciting teasers for the new product via social media. With so many people on social media, they will definitely see it and react to it. If you are wondering if your publics will see the efforts, yes. The answer is yes. Every demographic is on social media of some kind and is on it at least a few times a week.

Whatever you do on social media for PR purposes, make sure you know what you're doing and that you have a game plan, and a back up for when things go wrong.

Getting the Most Out of Your Franchise Public Relations SEO

Using SEO article marketing is a brave and smart way to get your name out there, especially in the <a href=http://www.allpointspr.com> franchise PR </a> realm where everyone feels like they are the next Walter Cronkite as they spread their opinions about the news all over social media.

There are a few things that you can do to increase the likelihood of generating links and boosting your ratings on search engines.

The first thing is to use specific keywords. Keywords are the things that people type into search engines to find something. For example, if you want good local Chinese restaurants, you may search "good local chinese restaurants." Use Google Analytics to search for the best and latest keywords that are related to your business. The thing about keywords is that they often work for a while and then one day, nothing. What were once fantastic keywords that were generating lots of links and clicks are now getting nothing or maybe only a quarter of the results they were a month ago. The reason is because people may not always search for something with the same language; also, search engines will switch things up and so you have to see what keywords they like and don't like.

The best way to incorporate keywords into something is to incorporate keywords into your articles and blogs that you post online. When you search for something, search engines scan everything on the internet for those specific words and the things that contain the most are the links that are higher up than others. Once you find your keywords, sprinkle them into your web articles and blogs. You can easily tie them into a sentence so it's not awkwardly posted into your writing. For example, if your keyword was "Chicagoland prime steakhouse" then you could say, "The best place to find a 'chicagoland prime steakhouse' is on Wabash in downtown Chicago" instead of "If you like meat 'chicagoland prime steakhouse' then you should go down to Wabash in downtown Chicago." The second sentence was kind of awkward, huh? While that is utilizing keywords, it's not pretty.

To be more specific with utilizing keywords in your writings, in addition to posting them in your text body, try using them in titles and even your social media posts. These small additions are little things that can really add to your rankings without a whole bunch of added effort. As a <a href=http://www.allpointspr.com> franchise PR firm </a> it's important for you to have high rankings since this will position you as a leader in the PR world.

Why Optimize Press Releases?

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As a franchise public relations agency we know how much time and effort goes into making a press release perfect.  We know what it takes to make a press release more powerful than the words itself, and that is by optimizing the content.  To get the most out of a press release in terms of it reaching a large audience it is crucial to optimize the content so it can be found online.

Before writing the press release, we recommend that you come up with a minimum of five different keywords to use throughout the press release and link those keywords back to a website.  Keywords do not only make the reading easier for the reader, but it makes the search engines understand that the article is talking about.  When our Chicago public relations franchise uses keywords, we do it to make sure that people can easily sum up and remember what the article discussed whether they read one paragraph or two pages.

It is also important to make sure that the keywords are relevant to the content and that they are all scattered throughout the article.  Our public relations company likes to keep the press release visually balanced and we like to include links to our website and the franchise PR website. 

Also, if you want to make the press release more visually captivating, it is critical to use images in the release.  Not only that, but you can link the image so it sends the viewer back to a website.  What our franchise PR firm loves about linking images is that when you search the keyword in the Google images, the image will come up under the keyword.  This is very important because it gives ownership to the image and this way people can site a source instead of stealing images online.

Don’t let your press release get lost in cyberspace.  Use keywords in your press releases and link them back to credible sites.  If you are in need of assistance writing press releases or optimizing content in general, please contact our firm for franchise PR consulting or comment below.

Social Media Policies For Franchises

As experts in franchise PR consulting, we know that social media policies are not usually the first thing to straighten out when it comes to a social media marketing strategy.  However, we really believe implementing social media policies is one of the most important things a company can do.  Without social media policies set, social media marketing plans are unsustainable for any franchise public relations agency.  It should be a goal to engage with as much of the audience as possible, but if there is no reach, there ultimately is no engagement and vice versa. 

We understand that drafting social media policies may not seem as important as the content you are creating and sharing, but after a lot of experience in franchise PR consulting, we have learned otherwise.  Our PR agency knows that your market of employees, resellers, members, etc. will be much less likely to participate and engage with social media if a clear and easy social media guideline has not been defined.

In order to be heard, it is important that you allow our social media consultants to show you how to get others to like, comment, retweet or share your content.   We will show you how to get people talking about your business online and engage the markets that are interested in your success.  Adopting social media policy is the first step to promoting the widespread of the information.  

It is also critical when implementing a PR campaign that you consider what you are asking of the audience.  In order for the audience to engage with the content, they need to feel they can trust you and it is a safe topic or place to discuss the information. Whoever is responsible for maintaining the social media platforms needs to know how to handle the difficult or controversial questions that may be asked.  Because our PR firm knows that most employees are not trained in public relations, it is important that professionals come in and teach what the best processes for a situation could be.

All Points PR, a public relations franchise company, does not want individuals or businesses to be scared of social media.  We think it is a wonderful medium that should be embraced by all.  However, this does not mean that everyone know how to use social media correctly which is why we recommend that our public relations company guides you through creating an effective social media policy.

If you have any questions about social media policy or are interested in speaking to one of our social media experts about franchise social media, please comment below or contact our PR firm today.

Tips To Ensure You Have a Stellar Infographic

As a franchise public relations agency, we know that there are several components to making your social media posts and online presence noticed or shared.  Over the last few years, many  There is not necessarily a right or wrong way to relay information, however, there is definitely a more creative way to present the data.  With that said, our Chicago public relations franchise agency would like to share some tips to help make sure your infographics are stellar.

businesses have started using infographics to engage their audience with figures and facts as opposed to using a bland static report, which spits out a bunch of numbers. For some companies or some audience members, illustrations are a much better way for them to receive and retain factual data.

Tell a Story with the Data:

We know that it can be quite tempting to compile the data and blankly retort it onto a spreadsheet or PowerPoint.  We also know that you might want to spice up the data by adding a few images to the numbers and call it an infographic.  However, infographics cannot just compose of images and numbers, it should be able to tell a story so that the audience can distinguish a clear beginning and end.  If you can tell a story, there is a greater chance that you will compel the reader to continue to read so they can see what the last result explains.  All Points PR, a Chicago franchise PR agency can help you tell your story.

Use Specific Data that Means a lot:

If you allow yourself to pick one topic but show a lot of detail related to the topic, you will better capture the audience’s attention.  If you can stay focused but make sure the number go deep and paint the image for the reader’s imagination, you allow the reader to experience more.

Don’t Get Long-Winded or Wordy:

The more words the reader sees on the infographic, the less likely they will be to read the whole thing.  Paragraphs can be intimidating, especially when the point of an infographic is more or less to illustrate numbers, not to turn the numbers into novels.  Even as an experienced franchise public relations agency we find ourselves needing to remind ourselves to keep it short and sweet sometimes.

Use Pictures:

Illustrations are much better to include in an infographic than pretty colored chart.  Use the images to help tell the story and to garner as much attention as possible.  They aren’t called infographics for nothing!

Everyone has a different medium that will catch their attention.  For some people, infographics are great and fun and for others, it is better to just present the numbers in black and white forms.  Just remember that even though you are using an infographic doesn't mean that you are using a great one that will garner attention.  If you need any help creating infographics or have any questions for our franchise PR firm, feel free to comment or contact us!

How Franchisors Should Respond To Online Criticism

As a Chicago franchise PR firm, we know that no company enjoys having to defend their image and maintain a positive reputation.  We also know that is can become quite difficult to regain a positive image.  All Points PR, a Chicago crisis communication agency has crafted a multitude of techniques for marketing and public relations efforts to help franchises build a better reputation.  

Being experts in public relations franchise efforts, we make it  point to correct the dirty laundry that is exposed to the public.  We guide our clients in the right direction in their choice of words, actions or whatever means necessary to gain positive support from customers, shareholders, employees, franchisees, and other prospective franchisees. 

Thanks to social media and the online community in general, our PR firm has come up with strategic franchise PR consulting that utilizes our social media consultants to garner progressive attention.  We understand that social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter can attract a lot of attention fast, and not it a good way.  The use of hashtags has given the public the ability to form unions for or against a purpose, organization, company or event.  It is the job of our franchise public relations agency to mediate that activity and help give a franchise a voice when their actions have been muted or masked by the public. 

Regardless of the situation, we can tell all franchises that the way to react to online feedback is to never react with threats or anger.  Rather than continue with the negative light, our Chicago PR firm would guide you into taking the steps to correct any shortcomings, addressing errors, and acknowledging the situation on a whole.  We strongly advise that any franchise that is not sure how to handle a situation seek advice from our PR firm to ensure that the existing negativity does not continue to grow. 

We want all franchise companies to understand that not everyone can be perfect regardless of their business.  However, they should not fear online criticism either.  As long as the franchise is working to improve their ways or system, the public will see that and share that with the rest of the world.  And if you recognize that your franchise is not getting the attention it deserves, you should seek out All Points PR for a public relations campaign to help your company get back on two feet.

It’s important that your franchise exceeds general expectations or that it can disprove any negative judgments of the line of franchises on a whole.  Our franchise public relations agency can assure you that we can guide your franchise to be a step above the competition while also maintaining a realistic image both online and offline.  If you have any questions on how to help your franchise prosper, contact our PR agency today. 

Facebook Hashtags

Recently, our public relations franchise agency has learned the news about Facebook now integrating the use of hashtags (#) the way users of Instagram or Twitter are familiar with.  Because Facebook has introduced hashtags, it is allowing users to follow and find trending topics online.  Although we are not surprised that Facebook finally jumped on the bandwagon, we are very happy that this change has finally happened. 

Our Chicago public relations franchise firm thinks it’s a bit of a shame that Facebook did not support hashtags sooner because it truly would have generated more of a buzz online with trending topics like elections, tragedies, gossip, etc.  For a long time now, Twitter has been the platform where many users went to find out about top stories and breaking news on the web locally and even around the world.  Our PR firm thinks it is smart that Facebook is finally competing with Twitter but we also recognize it may take some time to build the hashtag communities the way many on Twitter or Instagram have already been established. 

One great thing aspect of Facebook supporting hashtags is that any users who shared their images or posts from Twitter or Instagram directly to Facebook with hashtags included, those hashtags are now “activated” and link to the topic or phrase.  Another added benefit of the hashtags on Facebook is that even if the post contain a hashtag from the past or even future ones posted, users can still limit who sees their posts.  Our public relations firm thinks that the universal use of hashtags will create an online community where individuals will be encouraged to post publically friendly content.  This will also generate much more activity and interaction on social media platforms through mutual friends or even beyond friendships and share interests with groups of hashtagged pages. 

Our main reason why we are excited about Facebook using hashtags is because Facebook is so largely used across the world, and we are very active participants on Facebook and we encourage our clients to be active online as well.  There is no doubt that Facebook hashtags are going to lead to an increase of brand interaction and advocacy.  Hashtags will allow more users to see posts from outside their immediate circle and to engage with the content.  This is a great feature for our clients utilizing franchise public relations to boost their brands image online.

All in all, we are excited to see this change in the way Facebook will function.  If you have any comments or opinions to Facebook supporting hashtags, please feel free to comment or contact our Franchise PR Firm. 

Franchise Marketing

As a franchise PR firm, we know how appealing it is for individuals to start their own franchise.  Although owning your own franchise seems to be a promising way to ensure financial success because many are successful elsewhere, it truly is not guaranteed.  A great franchise does not rely on its reputation on other locations to bring money in.  A great franchise considers various efforts to market themselves to grow.   With that said, our franchise public relations agency has some great tips to market your franchise. 

Know the consumers:

As experts in franchise industry PR, we know that you probably decided to open a franchise based on its success from other locations and its potential for success.  However, no matter how good of an idea you think your franchise is for the area, you need to know the needs of the area and the wants of consumers.  If you do research as to what local consumers like, dislike, want, need, enjoy, and prefer, you are heading in the right direction for franchise success.  Not only that, but you need to make sure your franchise is not slacking in keeping up with current trends.  As a franchise, our public relations firm knows that keeping up with trends means more money, but your dedication to maintain your franchise will pay off.  Don’t ever forget to target your customers. 

Effective Website:

Having a website, web presence, and social media are crucial to gain your franchise any credibility.   Consumers trust businesses with websites.  Consumers also trust businesses with reviews visible on Yelp or testimonials on the website.  Ultimately, consumers want to see what your franchise has to offer and our PR agency can help your franchise effectively communicate your marketing efforts after some franchise PR consulting. 

Use Promotions:

After your have targeted your consumer it is important that you create and provide promotional incentives to get consumers into your franchise.  There is a great list of places you can advertise your promotional offer(s) such as: television stations, television commercials, radio commercials, internet advertising, direct mail and email.  Pushing your products or services through these outlets in conjunction with our franchise public relations efforts will help provide you success in any promotional campaigns. 

 There are several steps to ensure franchise success.  Our Chicago franchise public relations firm can guide you in selecting your tactics and vehicles to create an effecting marketing plan.  If you have any questions for our franchise public relations agency, please contact us today!

Social Media Alone Does Not Sell A Franchise

Our Chicago PR firm knows that companies are looking for franchise public relations experts.  For years now, many franchises have become experts at utilizing social media to increase sales while many others are steering clear for the fear of the unknown of social media.  Many companies think that social media is just a trend and that it is too late to invest in, but this is not true.

Part of our public relations services is to have our social media consultants advise your franchise on the best options to generate business and talk of your franchise.  Although we will admit social media WILL NOT sell your franchise, it will definitely do more help than harm with some guidance in franchise PR from All Points Public Relations. 

As professionals in the PR industry, our PR agency will tell you that utilizing social media for your franchise is just as important as all the other variables in the marketing mix.  It is highly suggested that your franchise maintains a budget and runs a well-planned social strategy t appeal to larger publics.  When using social media for franchises, it should be used as a call-to-action marketing took that will promote your brand and position your franchise amongst other franchises.  By doing these things, you will not only create brand loyalty, but you will enhance the loyalty of franchise. 

There is absolutely no reason why you should not utilize social media for franchises unless you are not in touch with someone who can properly manage it or you do not have a budget to manage a campaign.  Social media is a catalyst for sharing good news about your franchise or the community.  For example, news stories that are secured via public relations efforts can live longer lives by leveraging and utilizing different social media pages.  Not only that, but our social media consultants are experts in using social media for franchises to offset any bad or negative consumer experiences. 

There is no doubt that social media can help sell your franchise, but it will in no way be what sells your franchise. Social media is an important part of enhancing franchise recruitment efforts but in no way will be the secret weapon to building the brand alone.

If your brand is seeking franchise social media experts and looking to improve sales processes, contact All Points Public Relations today.  All Points Public Relations, a Chicago-based PR firm focused on working with franchise companies, is experienced in planning, executing and driving powerful results with strategic social media tactics.