To be effective in communicating with a millennial consumer base, you need to be utilizing specific resources that will allow you to more readily be in contact with that demographic and appeal to them. Here are four resources you should be using when targeting millennials in your digital marketing strategies.

1. Blogging. Having a blog section on your website and keeping it fresh with new content is a great way to get your name and brand out there. Even just publishing a new blog post once a month can bring in new customers and draw traffic and attention to your company’s website. Additionally, if you implement some SEO practices, your content may end up ranked highly in a web search that leads users to your products and business. Aim to have more evergreen content on your blog so the bulk of your content doesn’t become dated — but a blog is a great place to post your press releases and news, too.

2. Press Releases. Press releases are some of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to quickly relay news to a large audience. Utilizing the idea of press releases can help you get news out in a timely manner and offer another means of getting your company’s name into the public’s minds. Further, your press release may be picked up by other websites or media and written about more expansively, which will only help you more broadly appeal to a millennial demographic and push your brand.

3. Social Media. When used correctly and productively, social media channels are great outlets to publicize your company and interact with existing and potential customers. Don’t just post your own content or push your products on your social media; share other interesting news, develop a voice, and be publicly present and available. That being said, you can post new blog articles on your social media to direct traffic to your blog and website at large. No matter your business, your company should have Facebook and LinkedIn pages and Twitter and Instagram accounts that you post on at least once a week to keep it active.

4. Email Marketing. Though no one, and especially not millennials, wants to be bombarded with emails or seemingly spammed by a company, email marketing can be useful when attempting to communicate with a millennial audience. Make sure you are sending an appropriate number of emails a week and that they have catchy headlines and interesting information within them to optimize your open and click rates and truly engage your recipients.

Of course, when utilizing these different resources, it’s important to keep in mind that many millennials will be reading your blog, interacting with your company on social media, and opening your emails on their phones. All your digital marketing strategies should be mobile-friendly so it’s easy for millennials to read and engage with your business from any piece of technology they may use. Keep these four resources in mind when considering how to communicate with a millennial demographic and you’ll be set!

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When marketing to millennials, it’s important to get into that “millennial state of mind.” Doing so will improve your success rate and increase your engagement with that demographic. Here are some facts you can’t ignore when planning your marketing strategies to a millennial audience.

1. Don’t just treat them like a consumer.

Millennials are not just consumers but creators. With the rise of Pinterest and Etsy and influencers on Instagram and elsewhere, millennials are proving they are a force to be reckoned with and enjoy creating and engaging with the brands and businesses they use and like. Rather than just marketing your company to millennials, consider partnering with them to better market your products and services.

2. Personalize and customize.

While many tend to lump the millennial generation into one category and make assumptions for the demographic as a whole, you may be overlooking an important marketing strategy by doing so. Millennials are increasingly favoring products and services that can be personalized, customized, and that really show their individuality. Offering customizable options and considering how your business is different than other similar ones and further making it stand out will make your business more successful in the millennial market.

3. It’s all about connection.

We’re living in a digital age and most millennials have never experienced an era besides that. With a plethora of social media options out there to take advantage of, millennials are more connected and plugged in than ever — which means social media marketing is key to your success with this demographic. Engage with your millennial consumers online, gauge their interest in your products, ask for feedback on your services, and otherwise establish real connections and relationships with this crucial demographic.

Knowing this information about millennial customers and allowing these facts to influence your marketing strategies will only help you reach and engage the millennial consumer!

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When it comes to writing an exceptional press release, there are some important strategies you can employ to ensure your press release gets people’s attention and does its job of publicizing your product or announcement. We’ve revealed five secrets to creating a great press release that you should know and use in the future.

via Pixabay

1. Get to the Point. Those reading your press release, especially college students, don’t want to read a never-ending post. Assume the readers are busy people and may only read the first sentence or two before skimming the rest — so make that first paragraph count and get to the point quickly. Later paragraphs can be used for supporting information and other facts that are good to know, but not the most important points.

2. Include Hard Facts. A press release isn’t the time to be all creative; rather, your press release should include numbers and stats that support your overall announcement and the reason for the press release. Leave the imaginative words and phrases and stick to the cold, hard facts, with quantifiable proof and data to back up what you’re selling.

3. Spellcheck and Grammar Review. Nobody wants to read a press release (or any piece of writing, really) that’s riddled with spelling errors and grammar mistakes. Proofread, proofread, proofread. Consider getting a second or third pair of eyes on your press release before you send it out for publication. Even just one small mistake can cost you in the short and long-run.

4. Give Your Contact Info. Don’t forget to include your contact information in your press release. Those reading it may want to be able to follow up or get in touch with you about your product or announcement. At the bottom of your press release, include your phone number, email address, or some other information about where readers can learn more and reach out to you directly.

5. Leave Them Wanting More. Since press releases shouldn’t be very long (definitely less than a page), leave the readers interested in learning more and give them a way to easily do so. Provide links to your company’s website, and invite them to contact you or visit your website find out more. Don’t make it difficult for readers to access additional information because they likely won’t take the time or go the extra step and you’ll lose potential customers.

Use these five uncovered secrets to inform your press release writing and engage more readers in your press releases and products!

Creating a press release that will grab the attention of college student readers is key as you want to relay your newsworthy information to the right audience. In order to grab their attention, keep these four tips in mind.

1. Write a catchy headline.

The headline you craft in your press release is the thing that will get the attention of journalists, bloggers, and college student readers, so you have to make it count. Make sure your title is less than 20 words so that it’s succinct and effective and gives readers a good idea of what the press release is announcing.

2. Create content with a purpose

When writing a press release, you want to make it easy for those who may write an article on your release to do so. That means including all key information within the press release; who, what, when, where, and why. If your press release is written with bloggers, college students, and future articles in mind, they’ll find it more convenient to form potentially posts around your content. Additionally, including contact information about your company and how to get in touch will enable journalists to fact-check more readily and allow college students to follow up.

3. Include quotes.

To add weight to your press release, consider including relevant quotes or comments from people who helped make the news you’re publicizing. This way, you make it easy for bloggers to quote your press release and give your post more substance, which is crucial when college students are your audience.

4. Add an image.

Once college students and other readers have clicked on your press release to read it, you can keep their attention by making sure to include an image in your press release. Having an eye-catching and pertinent picture will make your press release look more finished and aesthetically pleasing, which will encourage readers to stay on the page and actually read through your entire press release.

Keep these four tips in mind when creating your press release and you’ll be sure to grab readers’ and bloggers’ attention!

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Utilizing social media in your marketing strategy when it comes to reaching college students and millennials is crucial. Social media and all its users greatly influence millennials when it comes to where they shop, the sites they click on, and what they buy. Here are three ways social media plays a role in millennial decisions.

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Marketing to college students requires a different approach than marketing to other demographics. What works with other customers and clients may not work with a college-aged audience. So to help you out, here are some tips to consider when you’re brainstorming how to successfully market your company to college students.

1. Get Connected.

Each year, more and more people are joining various social media sites, and the overwhelming majority of college students are already active on social media. If your company doesn’t have a page or account that’s active and accessible on sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram, you’re missing out on prime marketing platforms and opportunities. Plus, you’re inadvertently telling students that you’re not current and trendy or really operating in the digital world.

2. Get App-y.

With practically everyone having smartphones today and college students living basically glued to their tech, it’s important to embrace the digital age and not just be active and connecting with students on social media, but through apps as well. Developing an app for your company that’s phone and tablet-compatible will help you reach college students more readily and allow you to successfully market your business to students.

3. Get to the Point.

Less is more when it comes to marketing to college students. Be quick and to the point about what your company offers and why students should become customers. Since college students will likely only spend a short amount of time reading or looking at your marketing campaigns initially, you want to be sure to grab their attention and make your brand clear right away.

4. Get Creative.

Even if students may only spend a little while looking at your company’s marketing ads, there’s still room for creativity in simple copy. Your campaigns can be witty, sarcastic, funny, or put a spin on slang or something trendy, all of which will land with college students and make them more interested in your company and brand.  However, there’s a fine line between being trendy and cool and trying too hard, and you want to make sure not to cross the line when marketing. College students can tell that sort of thing and will be unimpressed with your marketing efforts if that happens.

These are only a few tips to keep in mind when marketing to college students so you are more successful. Just know that college students are different than other demographics and usually need more targeted marketing to land their interest and you’ll be on your way to hooking that crucial college student audience and clientele.

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Public relations is a quickly changing field, and little in technology has had as much impact on the industry as social media has.

A decline in print journalism, broadcast radio, and even television has shaken the PR world, but public relations firms who are investing more time and energy into social media are less likely to worry about these technological upheavals. Social media is beginning to play a critical role in reaching customers, so if you’re looking for someone to handle your PR, you should look for a firm that understands social, and holds it at the top of its priority list.

Here are the 25 most successful PR firms on social media in 2013, and some of the ways they set themselves apart:

25. Golin Harris International

Twitter | Facebook

After getting their first client in 1956, Golin Harris has continued to build on that success as the representative for companies like Dow Checmical, McDonald’s, and PetSmart. Golin Harris does a great job on Twitter responding to their fans and customers, and shares fun and personal updates on their Facebook page.

24. APCO Worldwide

Twitter | Facebook

APCO serves many large, worldwide business clients like Sprint and Applied Materials. Besides sharing a wide range of public relations industry news, they cover issues in woman owned businesses, and photos from events they host.

23. BLAZE PR

Twitter | Facebook

With clients in industries like health, hospitality, and consumer products, Blaze PR has gathered almost 6000 followers and fans on Twitter and Facebook respectively. They keep their Facebook fans engaged by asking questions about social media and consumer-related news, and post company updates and advice from around the web on their Twitter account.

22. New Media Strategies

Twitter | Facebook

Since 1999, New Media Strategies (NMS for short) has worked with some major brands like NBC, Adobe, and Domino’s Pizza. Besides managing over 129 social media accounts for clients, they manage their own Facebook and Twitter pages handily as well.

21. MWW Group

Twitter | Facebook

MWW has experience in a wide range of consumer public relations campaigns, and their client list is pretty varied as well. They keep followers up to date with updates from their blog, job openings, and industry related news through both Twitter and Facebook. They also do a good job listening and retweeting people on Twitter.

20. República

Twitter | Facebook

With a focus on cross-cultural campaigns, República offers its clients a wide range of services including social media, advertising, and public relations. Through social media, they showcase awards they receive and highlight relevant news from across the internet.

19. rbb Public Relations

Twitter | Facebook

Among numerous other awards, rbb is also the first public relations firm on this list to crack 7000 fans and followers combined. They stay very engaged with their followers on Twitter, and post lots of fun photos and office updates on Facebook.

18. Trylon SMR

Twitter | Facebook

Trylon’s clients include some of the best names in technology and media. They operate the NY Convergence Blog, where they have over 7300 fans and followers. On both networks, they share news about New York, technology, and startups throughout the day.

17. Max Borges Agency

Twitter | Facebook

While most firms on this list take on a variety of clients, Max Borges focuses completely on tech companies like Philips, ThinkGeek, and MSI Laptops. Their Twitter and Facebook streams are filled with interesting gadget and tech news, and they also do a great job responding to customers and fans.

16. Text 100 Global PR

Twitter | Facebook

Text 100 shares content from it’s own blog (known as Hypertext), as well as from digital communications outlets around the web. They also know to keep their social presence loose, and have fun. Their laid back culture has no doubt helped them gain hip clients like MTV, Skype, Ikea, and Activision.

15. NKPR Inc

Twitter | Facebook

By taking an individualized approach to public relations, NKPR has landed clients like Anne Klein and Skyy Vodka as well as a wide range of consumer-facing brands. Natasha Koifman (the company’s founder) operates their Twitter account, and does an excellent job giving her updates in a personal and well thought out way. It’s no surprise that NKPR has over 8500 followers on Twitter alone.

14. Gregory FCA

Twitter | Facebook

Based in Philadelphia, Gregory’s clients include a wide range of national and international brands. Their award winning campaign in content marketing sets them apart, but so does their solid use of social media. Like many PR firms on this list, Gregory does a great job highlighting industry news on social media as well as recognizing their customers and fans.

13. Waggener Edstrom Worldwide

Twitter | Facebook

Using a mix of traditional and new media, Waggener Edstrom specializes in bringing engagement to their clients, but they’ve also made sure to get some engagement themselves on social media. With around 9500 fans and followers, Waggener Edstrom engages their audience with a mix of fun and interesting news as well as company updates.

12. Hill & Knowlton

Twitter | Facebook

With offices in over 50 countries, the people at Hill & Knowlton certainly stay busy. Still, they haven’t forgotten about social media, where they share a variety of tips for PR professionals as well as job listings and interactions with their customers.

11. Audible Treats

Twitter | Facebook

Brooklyn based Audible Treats offers unique PR services to musicians and artists looking to get the word out through both online and print distribution. Both their Facebook and Twitter accounts are great for audiophiles to keep up with the latest up-and-coming artists, so it’s no surprise that they’ve been able to garner a following of over 11,000 since their founding in 2004.

10. Porter Novelli

Twitter | Facebook

Porter Novelli has some of the most recognizable clients in this list (Pepsi, HP, and Pampers to name a few), and their international presence has garnered them many awards. On social media, they do a great job keeping up with social media, content marketing, and public relations news, especially as it relates to digital technologies.

Congrats to Karen Ovseyevitz, who has been named one of the most influential women in business in Mexico – http://t.co/G1fdCOFRm2 #PNID

— Porter Novelli (@porternovelli) August 19, 2013

9. 5W Public Relations

Twitter | Facebook

With offices in New York and Los Angeles, 5W has a coast-to-coast approach to public relations that has both landed them clients and offered them many awards. Not least among these was being named 2013’s PR Agency of the Year at the Stevie’s. Their social media presence on Facebook offers exposure for their clients, and they have a great stream of interesting news coming in on Twitter.

Socialbots – designed to sway elections, to influence the stock market, even to flirt with people and one another: http://t.co/LXyZRpddv7

— 5WPR / 5W PR (@5W_PR) August 12, 2013

8. Shore Fire Media

Twitter | Facebook

The second Brooklyn based music PR firm on this list, Shore Fire’s customer-specific approach has garnered them a variety of pop, rock, and country clients. They do a good job interacting with their customers and followers, and make sure that followers get a variety of music-related news, releases, and events.

@MickLangenberg All good choices!

— Shore Fire Media (@ShoreFire) August 20, 2013

7. Burson-Marsteller

Twitter | Facebook

With over 60 years of experience representing brands in a range of technology and human driven industries, it’s clear that Burson-Marsteller knows its stuff when it comes to public relations. With over 18,000 fans and followers on Facebook and Twitter, it’s also clear that Burson-Marsteller knows its stuff in the realm of social media. They share relevant news as well as plenty of shout-outs to brands they support.

Congratulations to @GenesisBM on a Gold SABRE for Pepsi & 3 certificates of excellence for Sennheiser, Earth Hour & Avon at #SABREIndia!

— Burson-Marsteller (@B_M) July 26, 2013

6. Fleishman-Hillard

Twitter | Facebook

Fleishman-Hillard has a long history of pursuing what it calls the “power of true.” Their clients include many internationally known organizations such as the Turkish Embassy, Procter and Gamble, and ConAgra Foods, so it makes sense that they would have a global social presence as well. With over 18,000 followers on Twitter alone, Fleishman-Hillard deserves its #6 spot on this year’s list.

How do you manage bilingual communities? Our own @jenn_shah shares why language tailored engagement matters: http://t.co/MK2Csot1OZ

— FleishmanHillard (@Fleishman) August 14, 2013

5. J Public Relations

Twitter | Facebook

Don’t let their short name fool you. J is widely known as one of the country’s best public relations firms in the hospitality industry, and they’ve successfully managed clients like the Hard Rock Hotel and Sheraton Hotels. Their Facebook page has company updates and fun photos from around their office, and their Twitter account offers some great travel and hotel related advice for followers.

Plan a couples retreat to one of these 7 perfect spots via @lifestylemirror including @SurreyHotelNYC & @TwinFarms. http://t.co/xM3Xo5YzHW

— J Public Relations (@jprpublicity) August 19, 2013

4. Weber Shandwick

Twitter | Facebook

Weber Shandwick’s mission may be to give clients “a legion of believers, supporters and fans,” but that doesn’t mean they haven’t gathered quite a legion themselves. Over 24,000 people get updates from the firm on Facebook and Twitter where they share a variety of public relations news, company updates, and releases from clients.

In @Forbes Weber Shandwick CEO @AndyPolansky talks with @CEOShow about how CEOs can engage through social media http://t.co/rRCe7WMX0w

— Weber Shandwick US (@WeberShandwick) August 14, 2013

3. JESS3

Twitter | Facebook

At the edge of math and art, JESS3 specializes in helping their clients visualize large data sets and present them in the most impactful way possible. With the popularity of infographics and visualized data around the web, it’s not completely surprising that JESS3 would have been able to build such a massive following, but the really interesting thing is that they spend more real estate on Twitter retweeting and mentioning others than promoting themselves. People appreciate this kind of “real”-ness, and it shows in JESS3’s fan base.

If you aren’t having fun making it, they won’t have fun reading it.

— JESS3 (@JESS3) August 20, 2013

2. Edelman

Twitter | Facebook

Being the world’s largest public relations firm already places Edelman in a category of their own, but you can’t discount their commitment to social media either. With over 50,000 fans and followers, Edelman has made a name for themselves in PR news and commentary. Their blog is a great resource for writers and professionals, and they do a great job making sure that their name is front and center in the world of PR.

Motivation from @gailfbecker: “When I think I can’t do something, I force myself to try it.” http://t.co/9KsSEiQQRh — Edelman PR (@EdelmanPR) August 19, 2013

2. [Updated] ALM Public Relations

Twitter | Facebook

*ALM Public Relations was unintentionally left off the list at the time of this posting. Find out more about ALM’s talent and influencers here.

1. Ogilvy & Mather

Twitter | Facebook

Finally, at #1 on our list of the top 25 PR firms on social media, Ogilvy & Mather sits uncontested. With a staggering 200,000+ fans and followers, Ogilvy has the big name client list to back up their big name social following. They keep fans engaged with fun and relevant advertising campaigns, and manage multiple social media accounts for their variety of business offerings.

Your Friday Ogilvyism … “The way up the ladder is open to everybody.” #DavidOgilvy #Quote pic.twitter.com/4ixj36VvTy

— Ogilvy & Mather (@Ogilvy) August 16, 2013

Notes: This list was compiled using the total social following of over 200 top-ranked US public relations firms. All inquiries should be directed to info@uwire.com.

Ever since Oreo’s epic real time marketing win during the 2013 Super Bowl, PR and marketing professionals have been ga-ga for real time marketing. That said, there have been plenty of really terrible attempts since, so I think it’s worth exploring the best practices for real time marketing to college students. First, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page here:

What is Real Time Marketing?

The internet has allowed us to communicate more quickly to more people more cheaply than any other medium before, and for marketing professionals, that’s really exciting. In an ideal scenario, real time marketing means offering unique and engaging content to interested consumers at the perfect moment in time. For example, Oreo tweeted this the moment the lights went out during the 2013 Super Bowl:

Power out? No problem. pic.twitter.com/dnQ7pOgC

— Oreo Cookie (@Oreo) February 4, 2013

It’s perfect. People were already madly tweeting about the game and then the outage, so the tweet went massively viral and had all the marketing bloggers talking about it for the next week.

And Then There’s the Bad…

Unfortunately, real time marketing is rarely done in such a seamless way. For example, American Apparel sent an email blast to its subscribers during Hurricane Sandy to advertise a “Hurricane Sandy Sale.” People were understandably outraged:

I just received a “Hurricane Sandy sale” email blast from @AmericanApparel. I will forever boycott their stores. RT if you’re with me

— Whitney Hess (@whitneyhess) October 30, 2012

Let’s be honest here, everybody loves a sale, but when your marketing attempt seems to make light of a serious tragedy that killed 125 people and buried a metro area under water, there’s going to be some negative feedback. I think American Apparel could have approached this event more successfully though. For example, maybe instead of giving patrons 20% off, they donate 20% of their sales to victims of the storm? That’s the kind of real time marketing that wins you fans.

The Best Time for Real Time

College students have the opportunity to attend hundreds of events on or around their campus every year. Between basketball games, football games, concerts, parties, guest speakers, conferences, and television shows there is no shortage of opportunity for real time marketing attempts. That said, not every event is the best place for real time marketing, and it doesn’t always pay to be the first person to open his/her mouth:

“Good timing is equally critical in the world of real-time marketing. But having good timing is not the same as doing things quickly. Where speed is fast and arbitrary, timing is about being patient and discriminating. It can mean acting quickly, but only if you’re thoughtful enough to wait until you identify the right moment—so you’re reacting because it makes sense, not just because you can. Social savvy, whether at a cocktail party or on Twitter, requires a basic understanding of intrinsic social graces, including attentiveness and restraint. When brands rush breathlessly…they often run into trouble.” – Cheryl Metzger

So What are the Best Events to Reach Students?

If you’re not in college any more, you may not keep up with the trends. If you don’t, I’d recommend following some college blogs or accounts on Twitter. Still, there are some events that are pretty much guaranteed to hold students’ attention:

• Sporting events (especially football and basketball)
• Awards shows
• Concerts
• TV shows

Once you figure out which ones your customers are watching, it’s pretty easy to get in on the real time marketing train on Twitter, Facebook, or Tumblr.

As Always, Content is Key

By now, you should be putting together a list of a few events that you’d like to try doing some real time marketing during. Good. Now the big question is, “what do you say?”

No matter when or how you do your marketing, high-quality content is the key to a successful campaign. Whether it’s infographics, videos, blog posts, Tweets, or Pins, if it’s not very good, your audience isn’t going to be impressed. This doesn’t mean you have to be an expert at video production or a master of photoshop, but if you’re not, don’t try to use them.

College students – more than other demographics – can smell through your crappy content. No matter how timely your marketing is, any real time efforts will fall short if they’re not well executed.

Has your company or employer started using real time marketing? What tips do you have for using it? Let me hear your thoughts in the comments below.