Do journalists use social media to research their stories?

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It’s the question on everybody’s lips at the moment – do journalists use social media to research their stories? Are you missing a trick if you’re not engaging with key editorial contacts on Twitter? Which channels should you focus on developing?

Certainly within the PR industry there is significant rumination going on at the moment – PR professionals are desperately trying to anticipate the platforms that journalists might be trialling, hoping to stay one step ahead so that they are ready and waiting should a journalist come looking for them, and yet still trying to cover all bases by email broadcasting news in the more traditional way.

I met a PR professional at an event a few weeks ago who confidently told me “Journalists always prefer me to tweet them now (rather than phone or email) – I never email anybody any more”. But how true really is this? Can we rely on our audience using Twitter alone to source their news stories, or do we need to try and spread our efforts between maintaining social media alongside more traditional communication methods?Read More

Good Things Get Done By Construction Companies Doing Good

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Why marketing your construction business CSR programs through social media platforms is good for business.

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Image courtesy of Fourfront Group – commercial interior specialists

Let’s not split hairs here, the majority of CSR programs are a good thing. Besides the business agenda, at the very least some ‘social or sustainable’ good is being done. However, is it really still acceptable to invest time and energy in planning and running Corporate Social Responsibility [CSR] programs if the only ‘promotional’ outcome is a flimsy report?Read More

Why you should focus your SEO on search terms with more than 4 words (The Long Tail)

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I know of many marketers who spend a lot of effort, time and money trying to get their websites to rank high within search engines for head terms, high volume keywords such as bricks, rainwater harvesting, loft insulation, wall ties, LED lights, cladding, aluminum cladding, roof tiles, silver taps and so on. Whilst these types of keywords are attractive because they come with high volumes of traffic it’s not really what you should be focusing ALL of your time, effort or money on. I haven’t come across many marketers who spend time looking at or focusing on the ‘long tail’, you know, the one’s who are about to send you an enquiry. Let’s just remind ourselves of what the long tail actually means:Read More

MDi TV Episode 15 – 5 things to consider before you start your email marketing campaign

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In this episode of MDi TV we take a look at some important things to consider prior to developing an email marketing plan or campaign. Email is an area which many construction marketers look to increase the use of and by doing so end up just increasing the volume rather than increasing the quality of the database which is being targeted. Some key areas include segmentation and list management, by doing this you will see an increase in performance and effectiveness rather than a one message fits all approach through to considering what device the email will be read on. If it is a mobile device then think about what the landing page or website looks like on a mobile device one the recipient has clicked through from the email itself.Read More

5 ways to build your brand online in the construction industry

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The construction industry is a very competitive marketplace and the main way companies can stand out from the crowd is by building, and maintaining, a strong brand. Branding builds a unique personality for your business that cannot be copied or imitated, thereby attracting a defined type of customer. Brands are more than just logos and positioning statements but instead, brands symbolise what people think and feel about a business. This emotional connection, along with your brand reputation, is what helps in buyers’ decision making process. It might drive an architect or specifier to specify your product instead of a competitors.

An important element of successful brands is consistency. This builds customer trust and perceived value because buyers know exactly what to expect from your product or service before they buy it. Companies have to ensure that these expectations are achieved, or even better, exceeded.

Tell your brand storyRead More

MDi TV – Ecobuild 2012 Round Up

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As the sun sets on Ecobuild for yet another year we can only now take a look at some of the good uses of digital marketing and new technologies we spotted during our visit to the 3 day show. It was good to see an increase in the number of stands displaying some sort of online social element be it Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn and testing new ways of getting people online or interacting through the use of QR Codes whilst at the show. We also noticed an increase in the number of exhibitors using iPads and mobile devices on stands which I can only assume was either a tactic to keep people on the stand or be able to show visitors the other ranges of products which were not on display. We did spot a dozen or so stands with QR codes but only a few codes we scanned led to a mobile friendly website which still backs up my theory that marketers are still only thinking about the first hurdle, not the next which what the website will look like on a mobile device and whether or not the viewer will be able to perform the actions you want them to take.Read More

[Survey] Understanding the ‘value’ of effective marketing within the construction industry

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The UK construction industry consists of over 300,000 firms employing around 2 million people in a range of roles. The sector contributed 8.3% of the nation’s GDP (BIS, 2011). CIMCIG, the Chartered Institute of Marketing Construction Industry Group is working with researchers at Leeds Metropolitan University to explore the perceptions of marketing and to understand the ‘value’ of effective marketing within the construction industry.Read More

Congratulations winner of #digibuild for the best use of digital marketing at Ecobuild

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Ecobuild is over for yet another year and as many of you know we set out to find the best uses of digital marketing before, and during, the show. We had a number of exhibitors enter our #digibuild award and were very impressed with what we saw in the run up to Ecobuild as well as what went on at the show. The winner faced some tough competition from runners up Alumasc and Jewson,who also did a brilliant job.

And the winner is …

Read More

Goodbye Ayaan, you will be missed!

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It is with great sadness that the Pauley Creative team announce news that our beloved Ayaan Mohamud will be leaving Pauley Creative to further her career in social media marketing.

Ayaan joined us back in September 2010, within the first few weeks of Tweeting on behalf of Pauley Creative she amassed a great following on Twitter and developed some important relationships with a wide variety of people within the construction industry. Although Ayaan will be leaving us, she will still be a regular on Twitter so hopefully you can all still keep in touch with her. Here’s a link to Ayaan’s Twitter profile.Read More