Category: Public Relations

Public Relation Services

6 Reasons to Invest in Public Relations Marketing

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Marketing Firm
Public Relations

The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC. is a public relations and marketing agency located in Melbourne, FL. Our mission is to connect businesses with customers in the most advanced and effective ways possible. One of the ways that we do this is through our public relations services. To achieve this, we offer media campaigns, social media marketing services, website design and development, video production services, and more. No matter which of these services can benefit you the most, we can provide them. Visit our website today to learn more about how we can help you reach your goals!

Why You Should Hire a Public Relation Firm

As a business owner, you are probably too busy to watch over every aspect of your company and brand. This busyness is understandable, as your business should be your top priority. With this in mind, you should hire a public relations firm with years of experience in managing businesses. Although the idea of simply hiring the first firm you can find sounds enticing, you should trust anyone with something as sacred as your brand. As a locally-owned business, we understand just how important maintaining a positive and appropriate image for your demographic is. Our AD Leaf team can help you manage your PR, even when you do not have time to. We will ensure that your branding, messaging, and presence are just how you want it to be. There will be no need to worry about checking your social media pages or website statistics when you hire us.

Importance of Public Relations Services

The core definition of public relations is the strategic communication standard that your organization has established to ensure business consistency. This uniformity extends to all aspects of your company, from your branding to your products. Your business needs to have the best image possible at all times, or else your customers will move to a competing brand. 2021 marked the first step in stressing brands to give consumers an all-access pass to look behind the scenes and rightly demanding a diverse team environment. To remain relevant, your PR needs to foster this as consumers will be taking an even deeper look in 2022. There are other reasons as to why you should invest in PR services.

  • Increases in Business Through New Clients and Customers
  • Building Connections
  • Increases Credibility
  • Creates Positive Images of Your Business
  • Improve Your Company’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  • Reach Your Target Market Easily

If you are ready to bring your business to the next level with public relations services, give The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC. a call today.

Why a Campaign?

Although the purpose of public relations is straightforward, a lot goes into creating a good image for your company. One of how we increase your business’s outreach is through a public relations campaign. This type of campaign will showcase the positive contributions you and your company give to the community. Customers want to invest in businesses with positive intentions and even better service. After all, they want to know the products or services provided by people who care about what they are doing. By putting a significant focus on these aspects of your company, your company could likely see an increase in sales or traffic.

What We Offer

A high-quality campaign will also help protect your company in times of strife and times of where your company is struggling with an exterior issue. As a business owner, you’re battling long hours, sleepless nights, financial restraint, and lack of time with your family. The last thing you want to experience is your company being slandered or exposed through an employee who thought it was a great idea to share a social media of something behind the scenes that the general public might not understand. You and your family’s livelihood depends on you maintaining a positive image in the media. You wouldn’t want to hear that someone in your company was treating a customer or potentially vendor disrespectfully or engaging in inappropriate communication with an external force that could potentially implicate your company in a negative legal situation. Having a bulletproof public relations campaign will support you and ensure these situations don’t occur. If you are interested in having a campaign crafted by PR experts, give us a call today.

What Makes Us Different

The AD Leaf understands that public relations campaigns are a crucial aspect of any business. However, we also know that every business and its PR needs are different. Our agency works with clients across many industries and regions. We use our diverse knowledge to implement effective, customized strategies to fit our client’s needs and budgets. The AD Leaf works hard to not only improve clients’ sales and business figures in Melbourne, FL, and elsewhere, but we strive to build relationships and develop thoughtful strategies to help their companies grow from the roots up.

Why Melbourne?

It may not be a household name in the way that our nearest metropolitan neighbor Orlando is. Still, Melbourne, Florida, is a bustling town that houses many small and large businesses. It has grown exponentially over the past few years, which is why The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC. is so proud to be headquartered in this beautiful town. One of the best ways to give back to the community is by purchasing locally and supporting local businesses. Being a marketing agency in Melbourne, Florida, allows us to give back by providing valuable resources and services to companies to succeed. 

Public Relations in Melbourne, FL

Are you a business owner in Melbourne or anywhere else in the country? Do you want to take your PR to the next level? Talk to one of our experts here at The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC.! To schedule a free consultation with our marketing teams, call us today at 321-255-0900.

branding design

Properly Brand Your Business

Posted on | by Brian J Wallace
Marketing, Public Relations

Branding your business successfully is to perpetual be in the process of identifying, creating, and managing the cumulative assets and actions that shape the perception of your brand in all stakeholders’ minds. Branding is a perpetual process because it never stops. People, markets, and businesses are constantly changing and your brand must evolve in order to keep pace. There is a structured process to branding, one where you must first identify who and what you want to be to your stakeholders (internal and external customers), create your brand strategy to position yourself accordingly, and then constantly manage everything that influences your positioning.

Your positioning must be translated into assets (e.g., visual identity, content, products, ads) and actions (e.g., services, customer support, human relations, experiences) that project it into your stakeholders’ minds, slowly building up that perception.

“Brands are essentially patterns of familiarity, meaning, fondness, and reassurance that exists in the minds of people.” – Tom Goodwin.

When it comes to branding your business, there are a few key things you need to keep in mind if you want to be successful. First and foremost, your brand needs to be unique. It should stand out from the competition and be immediately recognizable. Secondly, your brand needs to be consistent. You need to use the same colors, fonts, and logos across all of your marketing materials. And lastly, your brand needs to be relevant. It should appeal to your target audience and reflect the values of your company.

Perception of a Brand

Also known as reputation. This is the association that an individual (customer or not) has in their mind regarding your brand. This perception is the result of the branding process or lack thereof. Branding is absolutely critical to a business because of the overall impact it makes on your company. Branding can change how people perceive your brand, it can drive new business, and increase brand value – but it can also do the opposite if done wrongly or not at all.

Creating a Brand

The first step is to create a brand strategy. This will be your foundation and will guide all of your branding decisions moving forward. Once you have your strategy in place, you can begin to create your visual identity. This includes things like your logo, color palette, and typography.

Your visual identity should be unique and reflect your brand’s personality. It should be consistent across all of your channels, from your website to your social media accounts.

Building Brand Awareness

Now that you have a strong foundation and visual identity, it’s time to start building brand awareness. There are a number of factors to keep in mind.

First and foremost, your content must be high-quality and informative. It should be shareable and relevant to your target audience. You also need to make sure you’re using the right keywords so that people can actually find your content.

Another important factor is SEO. This stands for “search engine optimization” and heavily influences how your business is found and displayed on Search Engines. Make sure to do your research and utilize relevant keywords in your titles and descriptions.

Once you have all of that taken care of, you can start promoting your content across different channels. This could include social media, email marketing, or even paid advertising. The important thing is to be consistent with your branding across all channels.

Tips and Tricks

Email

  • Create your signature.
  • Find your font.
  • Find your color.
  • Add your social branding/handles.
  • Spelling, always double-check your words. Add a quote that helps people remember you.
  • DO NOT leave “sent from my iPhone” !
  • Or “excuse errors”. Don’t make them.

Phone & Voice Settings

  • Setup your voicemail.
  • Keep your voice mail concise and consistent across your organization.
  • Don’t have a full mailbox.

Social Media

  • Create a social media policy.
  • Make sure everyone in your company is on the same page when it comes to social media.
  • Be consistent with your branding across all platforms.
  • Use hashtags, but don’t overdo it.
  • Engage with your audience.

Final Thoughts

To successfully brand your business you need to keep consistency as the foundation. You also should have a strategic communication standard, with all internal stakeholders (including employees) understanding and projecting your message to all who interact with your business, ultimately managing your company’s customer-facing communication. And wherever you choose to market or be visible, be sure that customers and potential customers know it’s YOU, whatever the format, platform, or medium.

Now that you’ve learned a little about how to brand your business, put these tips into action and see the success for yourself! With a little effort, you can create a strong and recognizable brand that will help your business grow.

The AD Leaf Marketing Firm Can Help!

Need some help to help develop and implement a successful branding effort, contact us today! Talk to one of our experts here at The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC.! To schedule a free consultation with our marketing teams, call us today at 321-255-0900.

PR Company in Melbourne, FL

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Marketing Firm
Public Relations

The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC. is a public relations and marketing agency located in Melbourne, FL. Our mission is to connect businesses with customers in the most advanced and effective ways possible. One of the ways that we do this is through our public relations services. To achieve this, we offer media campaigns, social media marketing services, website design and development, video production services, and more. No matter which of these services can benefit you the most, we can provide them. Visit our website today to learn more about how we can help you reach your goals!

Why You Should Hire a Firm

As a business owner, you are probably too busy to watch over every aspect of your company and brand. This busyness is understandable, as your business should be your top priority. With this in mind, you should hire a public relations firm with years of experience in managing businesses. Although the idea of simply hiring the first firm you can find sounds enticing, you should trust anyone with something as sacred as your brand. As a locally-owned business, we understand just how important maintaining a positive and appropriate image for your demographic is. Our AD Leaf team can help you manage your PR, even when you do not have time to. We will ensure that your branding, messaging, and presence are just how you want it to be. There will be no need to worry about checking your social media pages or website statistics when you hire us.

Importance of Public Relations Services

The core definition of public relations is the strategic communication standard that your organization has established to ensure business consistency. This uniformity extends to all aspects of your company, from your branding to your products. Your business needs to have the best image possible at all times, or else your customers will move to a competing brand. There are other reasons as to why you should invest in PR services.

  • Increases in Business Through New Clients and Customers
  • Building Connections
  • Increases Credibility
  • Creates Positive Images of Your Business
  • Improve Your Company’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  • Reach Your Target Market Easily

If you are ready to bring your business to the next level with public relations services, give The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC. a call today.

Why a Campaign?

Although the purpose of public relations is straightforward, a lot goes into creating a good image for your company. One of how we increase your business’s outreach is through a public relations campaign. This type of campaign will showcase the positive contributions you and your company give to the community. Customers want to invest in businesses with positive intentions and even better service. After all, they want to know the products or services provided by people who care about what they are doing. By putting a significant focus on these aspects of your company, your company could likely see an increase in sales or traffic.

What We Offer

A high-quality campaign will also help protect your company in times of strife and times of where your company is struggling with an exterior issue. As a business owner, you’re battling long hours, sleepless nights, financial restraint, and lack of time with your family. The last thing you want to experience is your company being slandered or exposed through an employee who thought it was a great idea to share a social media of something behind the scenes that the general public might not understand. You and your family’s livelihood depends on you maintaining a positive image in the media. You wouldn’t want to hear that someone in your company was treating a customer or potentially vendor disrespectfully or engaging in inappropriate communication with an external force that could potentially implicate your company in a negative legal situation. Having a bulletproof public relations campaign will support you and ensure these situations don’t occur. If you are interested in having a campaign crafted by PR experts, give us a call today.

What Makes Us Different

The AD Leaf understands that public relations campaigns are a crucial aspect of any business. However, we also know that every business and its PR needs are different. Our agency works with clients across many industries and regions. We use our diverse knowledge to implement effective, customized strategies to fit our client’s needs and budgets. The AD Leaf works hard to not only improve clients’ sales and business figures in Melbourne, FL, and elsewhere, but we strive to build relationships and develop thoughtful strategies to help their companies grow from the roots up.

Why Melbourne?

It may not be a household name in the way that our nearest metropolitan neighbor Orlando is. Still, Melbourne, Florida, is a bustling town that houses many small and large businesses. It has grown exponentially over the past few years, which is why The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC. is so proud to be headquartered in this beautiful town. One of the best ways to give back to the community is by purchasing locally and supporting local businesses. Being a marketing agency in Melbourne, Florida, allows us to give back by providing valuable resources and services to companies to succeed. 

Public Relations in Melbourne, FL

Are you a business owner in Melbourne or anywhere else in the country? Do you want to take your PR to the next level? Talk to one of our experts here at The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC.! To schedule a free consultation with our marketing teams, call us today at 321-255-0900.

PR Company in Melbourne FL

PR Company in Melbourne, FL

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Marketing Firm
Public Relations

The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC. is a PR company in Melbourne, FL. Our mission is to connect businesses with customers in the most advanced and effective ways possible. One of the ways that we do this is through our public relations services. To achieve this, we offer media campaigns, social media marketing services, website design and development, video production services, and more. No matter which of these services can benefit you the most, we can provide them. Visit our website today to learn more about how we can help you reach your goals!

Why You Should a PR Company in Melbourne, FL

As a business owner, you are probably too busy to watch over every aspect of your company and brand. This busyness is understandable, as your business should be your top priority. With this in mind, you should hire a public relations firm with years of experience in managing businesses. Although the idea of simply hiring the first firm you can find sounds enticing, you should trust anyone with something as sacred as your brand. As a locally-owned business, we understand just how important maintaining a positive and appropriate image for your demographic is. Our AD Leaf team can help you manage your PR, even when you do not have time to. We will ensure that your branding, messaging, and presence are just how you want it to be. There will be no need to worry about checking your social media pages or website statistics when you hire us.

Importance of Public Relations Services

The core definition of public relations is the strategic communication standard that your organization has established to ensure business consistency. This uniformity extends to all aspects of your company, from your branding to your products. Your business needs to have the best image possible at all times, or else your customers will move to a competing brand. There are other reasons as to why you should invest in PR services.

  • Increases in Business Through New Clients and Customers
  • Building Connections
  • Increases Credibility
  • Creates Positive Images of Your Business
  • Improve Your Company’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  • Reach Your Target Market Easily

If you are ready to bring your business to the next level with public relations services, give The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC. a call today.

Why Campaigns?

Although the purpose of public relations is straightforward, a lot goes into creating a good image for your company. One of how we increase your business’s outreach is through a public relations campaign. This type of campaign will showcase the positive contributions you and your company give to the community. Customers want to invest in businesses with positive intentions and even better service. After all, they want to know the products or services provided by people who care about what they are doing. By putting a significant focus on these aspects of your company, your company could likely see an increase in sales or traffic.

A high-quality campaign will also help protect your company in times of strife and times of where your company is struggling with an exterior issue. As a business owner, you’re battling long hours, sleepless nights, financial restraint, and lack of time with your family. The last thing you want to experience is your company being slandered or exposed through an employee who thought it was a great idea to share a social media of something behind the scenes that the general public might not understand. You and your family’s livelihood depends on you maintaining a positive image in the media. You wouldn’t want to hear that someone in your company was treating a customer or potentially vendor disrespectfully or engaging in inappropriate communication with an external force that could potentially implicate your company in a negative legal situation. 

Call The AD Leaf Today

Having a bulletproof public relations campaign will support you and ensure these situations don’t occur. If you are interested in having a campaign crafted by PR experts, give us a call today.

What Makes Us Different

The AD Leaf understands that public relations campaigns are a crucial aspect of any business. However, we also know that every business and its PR needs are different. Our agency works with clients across many industries and regions. We use our diverse knowledge to implement effective, customized strategies to fit our client’s needs and budgets. The AD Leaf works hard to not only improve clients’ sales and business figures in Melbourne, FL, and elsewhere, but we strive to build relationships and develop thoughtful strategies to help their companies grow from the roots up.

It may not be a household name in the way that our nearest metropolitan neighbor Orlando is. Still, Melbourne, FL, is a bustling town that houses many small and large businesses. It has grown exponentially over the past few years, which is why The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC. is so proud to be headquartered in this beautiful town. One of the best ways to give back to the community is by purchasing locally and supporting local businesses. Being a PR Company in Melbourne, FL, allows us to give back by providing valuable resources and services to companies to succeed. 

PR Company in Melbourne, FL

Are you a business owner in Melbourne or anywhere else in the country? Do you want to take your PR to the next level? Talk to one of our experts here at The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC.! To schedule a free consultation with our marketing teams, call us today at 321-255-0900. You can also reach out through our online contact form. Connect with us on our social platforms like Facebook as well!

How Content Marketing Can Take Your Business From Good to Great

The DEI Pledge

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Marketing Firm
Public Relations

A Repetition of Offenses

In a time where there is so much hatred and intolerance in the world, it’s important to take a stand and educate organizations on the importance of taking a DEI Pledge.

Recently, large corporations have been exposed for “blunders”. Swedish fashion brand, H&M, got 2018 off to a rough start when it found itself under heavy scrutiny by featuring a black child in a hoodie that read “coolest monkey in the jungle.” They later pulled the image and issued an apology. Soon after that, only a week into Black History Month, Gucci apologized for its $890 balaclava-styled black sweater that featured bright red lips that rung around an opening for a mouth, which covered half of a person’s face. If that imagery wasn’t enough, a store window displayed figurines that resembled black-face was featured by the Luxury Fashion House, Prada. ‘Pradamalia’, Prada’s line’s name, featured key chains, clutches, and clothing with monkey-like creatures, black faces, and oversize bright red lips.

So Many Questions

To call these instances blunders is a severe understatement. There is no need to go into detail or offer a history lesson behind the imagery. The racial epithets in these designs are resounding, which leads to so many vital questions. How do offenses as large as these keep happening? In separate companies, how could no one have seen the problem with these designs? If these high-powered fashion houses had a history lesson, would they still have made these abhorrent design decisions? Although knowing history is a great start, it is not and cannot be the only solution. An even better starting point is taking the DEI Pledge.

The Solution in the Statistics

Thanks to racial discrimination and bias, people of color continue to face difficulties finding their footing in the workforce. Recent statistics show that only 8.1% of agencies hire a diverse staff when they make up 13 percent overall population in America today. Furthermore, it is estimated that people of color occupy less than 2 percent of leadership roles. With this information in mind, it becomes clearer how major brands miss the mark in their advertising and marketing. The diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) pledge compel companies of all industries to be agents of change by putting POC voices at the forefront of conversations and company policies.

What is the DEI Pledge?

The Three’s a Crowd, a black creative collective, founded the “All In for 13” DEI pledge. What makes this pledge different from any other DEI initiative is its challenge to the advertising industry to raise POC leadership, not just employees, to 13 percent by 2023. Outside of preventing more racially charged mistakes, committing to increasing diversity in the cooperate world has been shown to improve innovation. A Boston Consulting Group study perceived companies with 19% higher revenues also have more diverse management teams.

Proactive Agents of Change

The AD Leaf is proud to announce its previous commitment to the All In For 13” DEI pledge without hesitation. At the time of the pledge, the AD Leaf exceeded the goal of 13 percent. It would be acceptable to say they have done their part and politely step away. Instead, the AD Leaf has chosen to take the pledge a step further. They are committed to increasing its DEI representation by an additional 13 percent. The AD Leaf is the largest marketing firm in Brevard County and currently has 22% of its leadership team being POC. They are fully committed to diversity and equity, as well as inclusion. They understand that it’s not just about numbers. It is ensuring a diverse set of perspectives so they can better serve their clients

What is “Cutting the Cord” and Why Should I Switch to Streaming Ads?

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Marketing Firm
Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations | , , , , ,

Every streaming service has hundreds of thousands of streaming titles, inspiring people to “cut the cord” and switch over their viewing preference to streaming services entirely. This means that if your advertising model is centered around running ads on cable television, your success is going to decline and fast. The general population is no longer interested in having cable in their home, which means the viewership of your ads is plummeting.

If you’re like most businesses, streaming advertising is not even on your radar, but it should be. You need to make the switch now because streaming is only going to become more popular. If you want to remain competitive in any market, streaming ads are essential for every industry.
With running ads on cable networks, you’re limited to targeting those who watch a specific show and reside within a particular zip code. Now, if you watch any TV yourself, you know that a singular audience who watches a show can be wildly different. Streaming services have identified this pitfall and designed a platform that allows you to select more specific targeting like genders, ages, interests, zip codes, travel preferences, and more. Your ad will be shown to a more intentional audience and will be far more successful as a result.

We’re currently seeing a trend in streaming services like Netflix and Hulu producing their own content. This means that streaming audiences are opting to watching shows like Stranger Things and The Handmaid’s Tale instead of watching them on traditional TV. The content that Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Video produces is helping to build niche groups of people. With their advanced targeting software, you’re getting access to a more refined target audience.
Here at The AD Leaf, we have access to unique resources that allow us to show your ad on various platforms outside of the big names like Hulu and Amazon Video. As streaming becomes more popular, we’re seeing increases in other entertainment companies building their own streaming services like Peacock, IMDBtv, Sling, Roku, and more. The demand for streaming is only going to increase, and with that, its audience size.
To stay ahead of the curve, you need to get in on this at the ground level. Chances are your competitors are already looking into it if they haven’t already taken the leap of faith. You don’t want to be playing catch up, do you?

Depending on your business goals, we can work with you to design a high-quality, eye-catching, and effective campaign. Your advertising dollars are essential, and we know you don’t have time to waste money on ineffective marketing. The benefit of working with an agency is that we have a well-versed team and can provide all of these services in-house. Our Creative Media team has produced a multitude of dynamic commercials and videography services that will bring your branding to the next level. We all know it’s tempting to use your neighbor’s brother’s cousin because they promised to give you a great deal, but let’s be honest, you deserve a commercial that represents you and your business in a professional light. We’re here to make your life easier, so we’ll take care of you from start to finish, providing updates and opportunities for feedback along the way so you can be in the know every step of the way.

If you’re ready to pull the trigger on getting started with streaming ads, we’re here to make that happen. Give us a call at 321-255-0900 or email us at info@theadleaf.com.

PR Company in Melbourne, Florida

Posted on | by The AD Leaf Marketing Firm
Public Relations

The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC. is a PR company and marketing agency located in Melbourne, Florida. Our mission is to connect businesses with customers in the most advanced and effective ways possible. One of the ways that we do this is through our public relations services. As a business owner, you are probably too busy to watch over every aspect of your company and brand. This is understandable, but that does not mean you should just trust anyone with it. As a local business, we understand just how important maintaining a positive and appropriate image to your demographic is. Our AD Leaf team can help you manage your PR, even when you do not have time to. We will make sure that your branding, messaging, and presence are just how you want it to be. 

Importance of PR Company Services

The core definition of public relations is the strategic communication standard that your organization has put into place to ensure business consistency. This extends to all aspects of your company, from your branding to your products. Your business needs to have the best image possible at all times, or else your customers will move to a competing brand. There are other reasons as to why you should invest in PR services.

  • Increases in Business Through New Clients and Customers
  • Building Connections
  • Increases Credibility
  • Creates Positive Images of Your Business
  • Improve Your Company’s Search Engine Optimization
  • Reach Your Target Market Easily

If you are ready to bring your business to the next level with public relations services, give The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC. a call today.

What Makes Us Different

The AD Leaf understands that public relations campaigns are a crucial aspect of any business. However, we also know that every business and its PR needs are different. Our agency works with clients across many industries and regions. We use our diverse knowledge to implement effective, customized strategies to fit our client’s needs and budgets. The AD Leaf works hard to not only improve clients’ sales and business figures in Melbourne, FL, and elsewhere, but we strive to build relationships and develop thoughtful strategies to help their companies grow from the roots up.

Why Melbourne?

It may not be a household name in the way that our nearest metropolitan neighbor Orlando is. Still, Melbourne, Florida, is a bustling town that houses many small and large businesses. It has grown exponentially over the past few years, which is why The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC. is so proud to be headquartered in this beautiful town. One of the best ways to give back to the community is to purchase locally and support local businesses. Being a marketing agency in Melbourne, Florida, allows us to give back by providing valuable resources and services to companies to succeed. 

Public Relations in Melbourne, Florida

Are you a business owner in Melbourne or anywhere else in the country? Do you want to take your PR to the next level? Talk to one of our experts here at The AD Leaf Marketing Firm LLC.! To schedule a free consultation with our marketing teams, call us today at 321-255-0900.

Public Relations

Conclusion: I am Your Customer – Why PR is Important

Posted on | by Victor Del Villar
Marketing, Public Relations

As a marketer, I pay attention when I am out and about, and a lot of companies need help. From paying attention to a company’s signage during the commute to work, to a company’s online presence, I often ask myself how I could help this company. From things like consistent branding by setting up company emails (dumping Yahoo, Gmail or Hotmail), or even something as simple as setting up a voicemail. Believe it or not, I tend to notice simple things as an opportunity for your company when I buy from them. When these important items are not in place, your business can look sloppy to your consumers.

My other half and I went on a cruise recently and decided to park off-site at a third-party cruise company parking with shuttle service to our cruise terminal. We did some online vetting by going to the websites, social media profiles, and checked out reviews. The most common theme with these companies was the lack of online presence. They had a real lack of any tangible information about them online that could help me make the best possible purchasing decision. Because of this lack of real company information available online and like many other consumers, we decided to roll the dice so to speak and book with the closest company to the cruise port.

We mapped out our entire disembarkation strategy based on the parking company’s direction and protocol.They were clear when they took us to the cruise terminal before the cruise “Try to get off of the ship early! From 7:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m., we only pick up cruise passengers at the terminals, so the wait times will be much less.” They continued “After 10:30 traffic is two-way and the wait times will be much longer”. We were among the first 30 people to disembark from the ship at 7:15 a.m. Upon debarkation,, we called the company so that we could be picked up. We noticed the phone just rang and rang with no recorded voicemail, or real way to identify the company. The website did not list the customer service hours of operations nor did the Google My Business Page. That’s when we realized this company needed a lot of help. We thought it would be smooth sailing but it was a disaster.

Something as simple as listing customer service hours of operations on your website and via your Google My Business page can save customers a headache trying to reach you. Having consistency in the information a company puts online can mean the difference between getting more business or losing customers to a competitor. Unfortunately, none of our options did a great job with their public relations. If we were able to vet these companies and not base our decision off of solely location we would have moved on to the next company. As consumers, these factors make or break a sale, which makes having a positive branding experience and consistency for your company all the more critical. Even having updated images on social media, your website, or Google My Business page can give a company a big boost and seem more reputable to a consumer. The information has to be easy to find.

During our cruise to the Bahamas, we took a tour of a Rum Distillery. We were very impressed with the branding of the company and their tour guide who was very articulate and knew the history very well. Looking online there was no question as to when the company hours were, it was written clearly. From social media to the website to Google My Business page. Looking at their Instagram, it appeared as if they had an in-house marketing team or hired an advertising firm. Their graphics were high quality, their captions were captivating, their hashtags were relevant, and their Pinterest profile was wanderlust worthy. If given the choice between two distilleries, I would opt for this one in my vetting process every time.

The moral of the story is that if companies take the time to invest in their public relations, branding and online presence it can and will attract more customers, and make a company stand out above the rest. Small attention to detail could help sway a purchaser’s decision and it could even help with word of mouth both on social media and in talking to their friends. It does not matter if a company just started out or if it’s been in business for years. Investing the time and money can help provide more convenient service for customers and keep them coming back. It can also help prevent one-star reviews and help create more 5-star reviews.