Think of the last time your business enjoyed good news. It may have been landing a new client, completing a notable project, achieving an industry-respected milestone, or winning a prestigious award. With careful planning and the right mix of marketing, maximizing your exposure could bring more opportunity for your business. It could even bring organic, unsolicited media coverage.
Here is a story of how our client, Schaefer Enterprises, Inc., a boutique insurance agency headquartered in New York City, turned their recent news of being included on the Inc 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America into a cluster of carefully executed marketing opportunities. We will touch on some key factors that play important roles when presenting your news to your clients, prospects and beyond.
Greg Schaefer, founder of Schaefer Enterprises, Inc., was aware of the future exposure with being included on the Inc. 5000. The honor is shared by only a select group of companies each year so this marked a tremendous opportunity for the company to spread the word and get people talking. From the time he was notified until the news went public and marketing materials were completed was less than eight weeks. It was a tall order but here is what happened:
Since so much of the potential media coverage and exposure would drive more traffic and views to their website, Trillion designed, wrote and developed a new, responsive version that clearly informs who and how Schaefer Enterprises, Inc. helps and why. The website redesign process was expedited with the support of Mr. Schaefer. He played the biggest role in Trillion completing the website in such a short period of time because of the trust placed in our expertise of the creative and development process.
The Schaefer Enterprises, Inc. website includes:
• carefully crafted information architecture, the organization of a website’s information
• keyword-rich content to benefit search engines and prospects
• a responsive design which provides unique user experiences for desktop, tablet and mobile visitors
• beautiful, professional photography with creative compositions, provided by the client
• strategically placed calls-to-action and inquiry forms
Once we created the Schaefer Enterprises, Inc. website design, there were other important items that needed to be quickly designed, developed and distributed. With the website as the centralized brain of the marketing efforts, things like public relations, email marketing, print mailings and social media campaigns all had an intelligent place to link back to. A properly designed website is a fundamental asset and marketing tool to have in place to maximize your overall return on investment.
Below are the ways Schaefer Enterprises, Inc. capitalized on the good news:
Press Release
A press release was written and shared with several media outlets. The carefully positioned language and coverage was written with specific audiences in mind and presented in a unique and newsworthy way in order to get “picked up”. The press releases also included high-quality and creative imagery of the leadership team.
Email Marketing
Email marketing campaigns are a very cost effective way of spreading your business’s news, tips and announcements. Remember that the content that you distribute via email needs to be relevant and valuable to those on your list. For the sake of Schaefer Enterprises, Inc., email marketing was a perfect way to let everyone know about the award win and recognition but also a way to remind clients and prospects of the benefits of working with the company. Trillion designed the email template in Constant Contact and was done so that the email design complemented the website design. As more news, important updates and articles are written by Schaefer Enterprises, Inc., additional emails will be sent out utilizing this format.
Mailing
It could be once in a company’s lifetime that they are included on the Inc. 5000 so Schaefer Enterprises, Inc. turned to Trillion for a creative way to announce the award to clients, vendors and prospects. We suggested a patented “surprise” mailer which is a pop-up cardboard box in an envelope. The catch is the box is mailed flat and is rubber-band loaded causing the box to pop up in the air once the envelope is opened. Doing something unique like this created a lot of buzz within the offices they were sent to. It got noticed and people were entertained. The pop-up mailing also lead to more media coverage because of its unique presentation.
Event Branding
What gets people excited about great news? Have a celebration! Schaefer Enterprises, Inc. hosted an evening event at a private club for their clients and partners. It was important to continue the branding through the event. Trillion designed strategically branded posters that were in the club, a limited production lapel pin and swag bag materials. We even designed a logo step-and-repeat wall where guests walked the red carpet and had their photographs taken just like celebrities at a premiere!
Social Media Campaign
When you compare the contacts of your email list, mailing list and social media audience, you may see little overlap. This is why it is important to utilize social media platforms in addition to traditional marketing avenues and email marketing. A carefully crafted series of social media posts shared the wonderful news about Inc. 5000 as well as reminded followers about the celebration in the New York City nightclub. During the event, #SEI5000 hashtags were being used so followers were able to see what was happening and the photos that were being taken.
What to do when your company receives good news?
If your company recently achieved an impressive milestone or received good news and want to shout it from the rooftops, there are important marketing lessons that Schaefer Enterprises, Inc. can teach us. If you would like Trillion to better position your company’s branding and marketing materials, give us a call at 908.219.4703 or use our contact form to tell us about your goals. See more of our work.
