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PR as Part of the Modern Marketing Mix What kind of honor is it to be recognized as "Small Business' Best-Kept Secret"? No matter how long you’ve been in business, customers are less likely to buy from you if they have never heard of your name or product. Name recognition and visibility are the keys to growing your business and Public Relations is one of the best ways to make your company more visible. Did you know Public Relations can even help your SEO/SEM results? We had one recent client who reached out for PR services because their SEO Firm recommended they hire a PR Firm for better “Domain Authority”. When high quality websites like Forbes point back to you through an article, this helps your website move up in perceived value by Google and Bing. A most common misconception about PR is that it’s just publicity. This is far from the truth. Publicity is merely getting the word out. PR is a multi-faceted approach to changing the way the public thinks about, feels about, and reacts to a certain company, person, service or product, by a third-party affirmation. This is also the reason why public relations is not advertising. Advertising is a controlled message [...]

RMR Helps House Buyers of America Hit the Mark with a Direct Response TV Campaign The client’s commitment to long-term growth led the decision to retain one of the area’s leading marketing and public relations firms Rockville, MD – April 9, 2019 – RMR & Associates, Inc. (RMR) announces today that the direct response TV advertising campaign it has planned and implemented for its client, House Buyers of America, Inc. (House Buyers) has been a critical element in the dramatic increase in the lead generation, engagement, and sales growth the company has seen over the past six-months. The integrated campaign included more than 5,000 ads running over top network television stations in the Washington, DC region, the 6th largest media market in the country. To-date, it has generated the following key results: Overall website traffic increased by 53%; Website leads increased by over 77%; and Leads and information requests more than doubled. To achieve these results, RMR leveraged its decades-long experience and success in direct response marketing, digital advertising, call center operations, and TV advertising to develop a fully-customized, integrated campaign. The media buys centered on local contacts and outlets for a regional, as opposed to a typical national campaign, [...]

Imagine that you are shopping - it doesn’t matter whether you’re grocery shopping or preparing to buy large, high-tech office equipment – and you have the choice of buying from a well-known company with a good reputation, or one you’ve neither seen nor heard of before.  Which one would you choose?  Whether you’re deciding on a box of cereal or a high-end car, your choice is clear.  People want to do business with someone they trust.  And you can’t trust someone you’ve never heard of, can you? Build their trust to get the sale. If your company’s name isn’t on the tips of your buyers’ tongues, how do you gain their trust so they’ll buy from you?  Fortunately, this isn’t the puzzle it may seem to be.  In marketing, we know the formula for building trust: Consistency of Message + Frequency over Time = TRUST Or, simply put, consistency over time builds trust.  Determine your most compelling message for your target audience.  Then, regardless of the media you decide to use, get that message in front of your audience on a regular basis over a period of time. Top-of-Mind Awareness is the key. This formula has been tested and proven, [...]

This is the second part of the article with advice for millennials on succeeding in today’s business environment. Each part stands alone and can be read before reading the other. To read Part 1 click here. Back to Basics - Part 2 If you have millennial employees, you know how creative, quick and tech savvy they are. They can be at a disadvantage, though, because their education and life experiences didn’t prepare them fully for work. And this lack may hold them back in their careers unless they learn now what they need to know. Here are the “missing secrets” that will help them survive, thrive and become valuable employees. 1. Start each day with a smile. Repeat It’s a scientific fact that flexing your smile muscles sends a signal to your brain that tells it you are happy. And when your brain believes you’re happy, you become happy. Really! Happy people see the possibilities around them instead of troubles. Problems become challenges they’re eager to overcome instead. Over time, they become positive people. And positive people are like magnets drawing everyone to them. Who would you rather be around: someone who complains about everything, or someone who finds the [...]

Your business is probably using social media. There are some great tips in this article from SmallBiz Ahead The 9 Worst Things Your Business Can Do on Social Media (And What to Do Instead)

Back to Basics - Part 1 Much has been written about how to work with millennials: what they want from their jobs, how they differ from previous generations, how to keep them happy, etc. All good to know. But in focusing so heavily on their needs, it seems no one explained to them what they need to do to have a successful career. First, let me be clear. We love our millennial employees at RMR. Every semester, we recruit the most promising for our robust intern program. We understand that as new grads, they’ll need lots of guidance. But recently, I’ve noticed some alarming trends among the applicants. Whatever they may have learned in college, they missed out on some very important lessons. It’s not their fault that they weren’t taught these basics. But this lack of knowledge is going to hold them back…unless they learn it now. Feel free to share this with the millennials you know to help them reach their potential and enjoy satisfying business careers. 1. Manners matter. It’s true that we live in a much more casual society than even just a decade ago. Many former rules of etiquette, both for business and social settings, [...]

For the 5th Straight Year, Coakley Realty Re-Signs RMR as Agency of Record The firm’s commitment to long-term growth led the decision to retain one of the area’s leading marketing and public relations firms ROCKVILLE, MD — January 10, 2019 – Rory S. Coakley Realty, Inc. (Coakley Realty), one of the Washington D.C. metropolitan area’s premier full-service residential and commercial real estate firms has announced the re-signing of their current marketing and public relations firm, RMR & Associates, Inc. (RMR). Coakley Realty originally hired RMR in 2014 for their 25th Anniversary commemoration. Since this time, RMR has supported Coakley Realty through major company achievements including award recognitions, growth milestones, and daily public relations and marketing support. The next phase of RMR’s marketing communications plan will support Coakley Realty’s aggressive growth plan. Over the next five years Coakley Realty is poised for triple growth in their commercial division that will increase their market share in Washington D.C, Maryland and Virginia. Additionally, RMR will continue to support Coakley Realty’s recruitment strategy to expand their real estate team. “This year, we will reach a landmark of 30 years in business,” said Rory S. Coakley, President of Coakley Realty. “Our future plans for growth [...]

Press releases are a valuable tool for businesses of all sizes, but there are some mistakes to avoid. Read the Forbes article below for more information! https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2018/07/24/12-mistakes-to-avoid-with-press-releases/#7bfcfc667100

Putting Your Product on the Fast-Track to Success: The Importance of a Go-to-Market Approach in Your Marketing Arsenal By Robyn Sachs Integrated marketing approaches have skyrocketed in popularity over the last several years, for a largely two-fold reason: Their emphasis on ‘matching the vehicle to the goal’ enables a more efficient,results-driven process focused on specific needsThis process leverages an organization’s budget to ensure they are receiving the ultimate ‘bang for their buck’ While integrated marketing approaches can and should be implemented at several stages of a company or product’s evolution, one critical phase is in the early days of a market launch, entry, and growth. Known as a “Go-to-Market Strategy”, this process combines key elements of integrated marketing to deliver a comprehensive, structured plan designed to achieve maximum success. So, how does a Go-to-Market approach work? And, for whom does it work best? First, it’s important to note that the elements of a Go-to-Market initiative can be put into practice for companies and products at all stages of development; from emerging enterprises and start-ups to established organizations.  In terms of key activities, part of what differentiates a Go-to-Market approach from other market entry plans is the systematic structure behind it, along [...]

By Robyn M. Sachs President, RMR & Associates, Inc. Email marketing can be a huge asset to any organization. Unlike advertising, it can be sent to a carefully selected audience. Unlike public relations, you have total control over the message and the delivery. Unfortunately, it can also be tricky. In a medium where a 3% response rate is considered a success, you want to be sure to leverage every tool you can. The best way to do that is to pay attention to three basic components of your campaign: the list, the offer, and the creative. 1) The List The list alone is responsible for 60% of your campaign’s success or failure. You may have a compelling offer and great creative, but if it’s going to the wrong people, you’re wasting your time and money. If you operate an ice cream parlor in Germantown, MD, but are sending direct mail to people in San Francisco, it’s fairly certain that you won’t see a big response. • Choose lists that pre-qualify your targets as being interested. Subscribers to blogs in which you advertise or owners of systems you support are just two examples. The added benefit of sending to an opt-in [...]