Author: Clairemont Intern

Boost Your Blog

Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relations, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , , ,

Inception warning: we’re writing a blog on blogs.

You’ve spent hours researching, writing and editing your blog post. It’s perfect. You want the entire world (well, your key publics) to read and love it.

Clicking the publish button isn’t the end of the blog’s journey, though. Ensure that your post doesn’t just live on your website by tapping into other communication mediums to expand reach and boost engagement. To accomplish this, here are four tactics on our radar:

Instagram Story

Example from Sugar & Cloth on Instagram.

If your business page has more than 10,000 followers, you can embed a link in your Instagram Story. With a simple swipe, followers are whisked directly to your website to read the blog. In your story, entice viewers by announcing the blog’s topic and including a CTA like “Swipe up for the full post!” On the Social Media Examiner podcast, Sue B. Zimmerman recommends creating a “Blog” highlights folder where all of your blog-related stories can live forever. (Check out our previous post for more info on Instagram Highlights and why they’re important.)

For an advanced social media move, try going live on Instagram to talk about the post. Sue goes live for 45 minutes the same day she releases a blog post to talk in detail about the topic and bring in guests. Her efforts create an engaging, exciting experience of each post for viewers.

Infographic or Visual Graphic

Itching to show off your creative side? Turn words into pictures through a graphic. Visuals are not only more interesting to look at than long-form text but also easier to share with others.

Is there a piece of info in your blog post that could be depicted visually? Share the graphic on social media to hook viewers and accompany it with a link to the full blog.

Podcast Episode

This ever-growing audio platform was made for the multitasker. Listeners tune in while making their morning commute or evening dinner, which drives deep engagement because there’s less effort needed. Repurpose your written content into an episode that expands on the topic and brings in guests.

Does it seem daunting to take the mic? Check out “How to Start a Podcast” for an in-depth guide by The Podcast Host.

Social Sharing Schedule

This tactic is shorthand for publishing your post more than once on each social media platform. Garrett Moon with Kissmetrics defends the blog repost because it provides your audience the value you promised them. Sharing the blog a second or third time captures the viewers who missed your initial post, and it demonstrates that your content is still relevant weeks and months later.

Garrett cautions against becoming a spammer to your audiences. In his step-by-step guide to create a social sharing schedule, he recommends varying how often the blog is shared on each platform and switching up the message to create different hooks.

From Blog to Brand

These tactics drive traffic to the mother lode: your website. When audiences arrive at your blog post from an Instagram story, Facebook infographic or podcast episode, they may stick around and explore everything else your website has to offer. The boost to your blog will translate into overall brand strength as your activity across all platforms builds a central brand identity.

What do we love more than our own blog posts? Those of our clients. Drop us a line to see how we can help you get the most out of your blog content.

Written by intern Elizabeth Comtois, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill. 

Read More

Real Estate’s Top Three Social Tools

Clairemont InternBlog, Real Estate PR, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , ,

Learn how to harness the power of social media visual content on Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook to build your real estate brand.

Triangle Real Estate Trends

If real estate in the Triangle was a children’s fable, it would be a beanstalk shooting into the sky to meet the giants.

According to a 2018 report from Capital Compass, the Triangle experienced record growth in commercial real estate last year, leasing more than 1.4 million square feet. Class A space – the crème de la crème of properties – continues to be in highest demand, indicating that buyers will pay more for premier quality and central location. The Dillon – the 18-story mixed-use building that will join the downtown Raleigh skyline – has leased 43 percent of its residential units and nearly 77 percent of its retail space, leaving more room for real estate growth in the near future.

Photo of Hargett Place in Downtown Raleigh.

Residential real estate in the Triangle is also on fire. In Zillow’s 2018 list of hottest housing markets, Raleigh earned the No. 2 spot “based on its rising home values and rental prices, steady income growth, abundant job opportunities and low unemployment rate.” The Triangle remains in the running for Amazon’s HQ2, which would bring 50,000 jobs to residents and accelerate the area’s growth. As the Triangle establishes itself as a technological, health care and financial hub, homebuyers and business owners alike are flocking to the Triangle to set up shop.

Key Social Media Marketing Tools for Real Estate

In layman’s terms, the time to invest in real estate is upon us. As a real estate developer, builder, investor or agent, effective marketing strategies are more crucial than ever to ensure your properties are the ones getting filled. To stay on top of the trends, we have our eyes on these three social media tools that will shine the spotlight on your brand.

  1. Snapchat Geofilters: The real-time visual platform offers so much more than flower crown filters. With 158 million daily users who exchange 2.5 billion Snaps and check the app an average of 18 times a day, Snapchat boasts a freakishly high engagement rate. Snapchat’s on-demand geofilters encourage direct interaction with key publics and broaden your brand’s reach to other people’s networks. The unpolished, real-time content lends authenticity to your brand, which builds trust and familiarity with your key publics, leading to meaningful relationships.
  2. Instagram Stories: Unlike Snapchat, Instagram more easily builds and maintains a steady audience. Stories can expire after 24 hours or be archived as a “highlight” to live forever on your brand’s page. Use a story to document the course of an activity, like a new property tour or community event. Which stories should turn into highlights? Choose the story clips that get the most views and engagement, says Michael Stelzner, host of the Social Media Examiner podcast. You can even separate highlights into different branded categories, like “Blog,” “Homes” or “Events,” which makes it easier for followers to view what interests them. These snippets provide a peek into the daily life of your brand, putting faces and adding personality to your logo.
  3. Facebook Live: The social media giant’s streaming feature marries long-form video content with real-time presence. These videos provide deeper engagement with your followers, since you can respond to a viewer’s questions or comments while live. Facebook Live seems made for the real estate industry; what viewer doesn’t want to hop on an impromptu tour of the newest properties and communities without leaving his or her living room?

Although they have their differences, these three social media tools tap into the power of visual. Videos and photos with intentional, innovative content give viewers a personalized experience when finding their perfect home or office space.

Are you ready to get social? Tap us in to help build your brand with our strategic social media know-how.

Written by intern Elizabeth Comtois, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill. 

Read More

Networking on Social Media

Clairemont InternBlog, Professional Development, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , ,

Most of us have swapped business cards at a networking event or connected with our fair share of people on LinkedIn. Both are so common in 2018 that one must look beyond the traditional outlets to forge and maximize professional associations.

Two words: social media.

How can one network on social media? Which begs another question: why should one network on social media? Statista.com gives us 2.46 billion reasons. According to Statista’s research from more than 18,000 sources, there were 2.46 billion social media users across the globe in 2017. And Statista’s projections for the next five years? Add at least another 500 million users to the number. In contrast, LinkedIn has less than 500 million users. With that amount of people available across the web, why wouldn’t you want to network on social media? Here are a few tips to get you started.

Twitter

Engage in Twitter chats: Check out this list of Twitter chats with numerous topics, dates and times. Twitter chats open the door to talk to thousands of people all over the world.
Create tweets that create conversation: Rather than making statements, craft tweets that include questions and prompt replies from your followers. And, no brainer, reply to those tweets you follow as well.
Follow people with whom you want to connect: If you have targeted professionals in mind , follow them on Twitter and engage with their tweets. Be sincere. Forbes shares a story about a woman who used Twitter to connect with the editor of a publication, hoping to get her work published. Her networking paid off as her writing was published and even retweeted by the editor.
#DotheHashtagThing: Whether you’re looking for similar accounts to follow or trends and current events, Twitter hashtags have you covered. Searching even the most basic hashtag will introduce you to new professionals in your industry, like-minded colleagues, potential mentors, media and thousands of related tweets internationally. Consider creating your own hashtag, something as simple as the abbreviation of your company or a tagline for your company. Of course, research your hashtag first.

Instagram

Utilize Instagram Direct Messaging to create a “pod:” Connect with similar accounts through hashtags and the Explore page on Instagram. Create a group message, or what is commonly known as an Instagram “pod,” with these accounts to share content and stay in contact on a regular basis. You can also use these pods to swap ideas, ask advice, questions and invite others to events.
#Utilize #hashtags: Similar to using hashtags for Twitter, utilizing hashtags on Instagram helps you find specific content and accounts on Instagram.

Facebook

Post job-related content: Post and share content on Facebook that will allow your friends to engage and relate. Making this content related to work will draw and maintain a professional presence — a point of reference for contacts.
Use Facebook to market yourself: Share content of your own on Facebook. This might include your published work or a past project. Utilize your platform to showcase your experience and talents with friends and those you consider professional contacts.
Create or join Facebook groups with other professionals: Similar to an Instagram pod, create or join a Facebook group with your professional contacts on Facebook. Use this platform to share relevant material related to your profession, share your own writing and work, and engage with your fellow professionals’ work on a regular basis.

Growing your professional presence on social media doesn’t stop here. Check out our blog post on branding yourself across all of your favorite social platforms.

Written by Clairemont intern, Kennedy Norton, a fashion blogger and junior at North Carolina State University.

Read More

What Does a PR Agency Do? A Top-Selling Real Estate Community

Clairemont InternAwards, Blog, Case Studies, , , , , , , ,

Briar Chapel is one of largest master-planned green communities in North Carolina and part of Newland Communities, the country’s most prominent privately held residential real estate developer. As it approached its eighth year in business, the marketing team turned to Clairemont, its agency of record, to continue to position Briar Chapel as one of the Triangle’s most desirable living destinations.

Strategy

Clairemont crafted a strategy to reenergize Briar Chapel’s organizational identity through media relations, creative on-site events and community partnerships. Since research showed that target buyers valued self-expression and innovation along with a sense of community, our methods provided opportunities for prospects to interact and personally experience the relational atmosphere at Briar Chapel while highlighting its cutting-edge, customizable lifestyle offerings.

Execution

The Pepper Festival: Hosted on-site at Briar Chapel, the annual Pepper Festival celebrates local culture and food, featuring the largest chef competition in the state. As the team planned for the 9th Pepper Festival, Clairemont spiced up the event to increase attendance and gain stronger visibility for Briar Chapel. To connect with families, we launched the inaugural Spicy Kid Chef Competition, pairing top chefs with aspiring “Pint-Sized Chefs” and challenging the peppery pairs to craft their most creative pepper-themed dish. We tapped into the creative class by hosting a “Hot Glam Fashion Show” where designers showcased pepper-themed couture.

To boost online visibility and social sharing, Clairemont created an interactive personality quiz peppered with twists of wit; seven short questions posed unexpected queries and prescribed a pepper-themed personality type (like “Mild Child,” “Sweet Heat” or “Flame Thrower”), encouraging users to share their results and enter to win festival tickets. Creative and individualized pitches piqued the interest of target influencers. These efforts attracted a record 2,500 festivalgoers on-site to Briar Chapel and secured record coverage, including features in regional magazines and on TV segments.

Launching Veranda: As Briar Chapel prepared to unveil Veranda, its first commercial segment, Clairemont added zest to the strategy to snag the interest of media and guests. For example, we bypassed standard shovels at the ground-breaking ceremony and opted instead to put our officials at the helm of Bobcat excavators.

The ground-breaking ceremony secured visits from the Triangle’s top reporters through creative pitches and placed stories in almost all of the area’s major outlets. To foster community engagement before grand opening, Briar Chapel hosted “Meet the Neighbors,” inviting residents to enjoy complementary food, beverages, live music and services from their new Veranda neighbors at a block-style party. Veranda opened its doors as an attractor for homebuyers and destination for Chapel Hill visitors.

Partnerships and Community Events: To attract prospective homebuyers, Clairemont ditched blasé home tours and helped launch a series of creative on-site events. The team reinstated Music in the Meadow, an outdoor summer concert series featuring local bands, food trucks and family activities in Briar Chapel’s renowned parks. Briar Chapel also hosted a Triangle Off-Road Cyclists (TORC) race to attract the public on-site while showcasing its extensive trail system. Standard open-house weekends were transformed into interactive celebrations that offered guests guides to explore amenities and gift certificates to enjoy the shops and restaurants at Veranda, Briar Chapel’s new commercial segment.

Online Presence: Clairemont retooled Briar Chapel’s website content to reflect its innovative homes and the sense of community that target demographics prized. To boost reader interest, we transformed data into useful, creative content, such as a DIY home blog series, sneak peek tours of developments and resident spotlights on programs such as “Pooches on the Porch.”

Creative Media Pitches: Clairemont brainstormed creative angles beyond home construction to pique the interest of reporters throughout the year. Our pitches explored everything from Briar Chapel’s commitment to green building and its new age-qualified section to its active, vibrant vibe.

Results

In direct correlation with our stated objectives above, we met every goal, exceeded expectations and produced the following results:

  1. Clairemont secured a total of 36 news stories and blogs.
  2. Special events drew an additional 4,000 people on-site.
  3. Home sales increased by 49 percent in 2016.

As a result of this campaign, Clairemont successfully positioned Briar Chapel as one of the top places to live in the Triangle, which helped Briar Chapel meet its annual sales goal and earn the title of Best Neighborhood by Chapel Hill Magazine.

The work Clairemont Communications conducted in partnership with Briar Chapel earned a Gold Award in Organizational Identity/Promotion the Raleigh Public Relations Society. We are proud that this campaign represents two of the 175 awards we’ve received since starting Clairemont in 2010.

To read more about the work we do with clients, please visit the case study section of our blog.

Read More

How To Host An Instagram Giveaway

Clairemont InternBlog, Marketing, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , ,

Insta giveaways can pack a punch, but if not carefully thought out, your business could run the risk of making an Instagram flop and losing time and resources. But have no fear. We’ve pulled together five steps to host the best Instagram giveaway yet:

Plan the Product

What can you offer that will be of value to your followers/customers? Is it an experience, a hallmark product you have in stock or a gift card to your location? Keep in mind, the larger dollar value behind the product, the more potential followership you can gain.

Plan the Timeline

Creating a timeline for your Instagram giveaway will prevent stress while the giveaway is live on your account. First, decide if you want to promote the giveaway on your Instagram account before the giveaway goes live. Then, choose your start date and time. Check your Insta business stats to choose a post time that garners the highest fan engagement. Consider posting a giveaway reminder, such as a promo on your Insta story or a second Insta feed post. A reminder serves to reach followers that might not have seen the giveaway when it was originally posted. Finally, choose the giveaway end date and when you’ll announce the winner(s). Most giveaways perform well when hosted over the course of a few days.

Plan the Announcement Photo

Spend time planning how you will display the product up for grabs. Include telltale words, like “giveaway,” somewhere in the actual photo, making a simple connection when your followers see the post at first glance. Promote the photo across other social media platforms,  encouraging followers from other social media sites to visit your Instagram page.

Plan the Caption

Instagram has specific guidelines for hosting giveaways. Make sure that your giveaway meets all of the requirements of Instagram. Requirements for entering the giveaway might include liking the photo, following your account, liking your last five photos, etc. Again, reference Insta’s rules, which prohibit encouraging people “to tag themselves in photos if they aren’t in the photo.” A finalized Instagram caption will typically follow this sequence: 1. Announcing your business is hosting a giveaway and what is being given. 2. Your requirements to enter the giveaway. 3. Instagram official terms (age requirement, location requirement, etc.).

Plan and Announce the Winner

It’s time to pick a winner! We suggest using sites like Rafflecopter or Random Name Picker to select a winner at random. Broadcasting this selection process via Instagram stories or Instagram Live will allow your followers to see that the giveaway winner was randomly selected and not specifically chosen. To announce the winner you can change the original caption of the giveaway photo and tag the winner to claim their prize, post a dedicated Instagram photo or broadcast the winner on an Instagram Live or story.

Time to get busy! While you’re planning, check out our post on how to take an Instagram-worthy photo to become a rockstar at taking photos for your feed.

Written by Clairemont intern, Kennedy Norton, a junior at North Carolina State University.

Read More