Home Service PR Can Make You the Smart Choice

As our lives, and the products in them, become more high-tech and interconnected, home service companies stand to become a crucial part of how consumers adopt electric cars and smart homes. However, many customers looking into these technologies may be afraid of setting them up themselves, but unaware that help is available. One of the ways that your business can position itself as a tech expert is through a great home service public relations strategy.

Smart homes don't have to be scary with home service PR

Why Do Home Service Companies Need PR? Isn’t Marketing Enough?

Take a look around the home service industry today, and you’ll likely find someone advertising smart home installations. Items like connected thermostats, smart lights and home surveillance systems aren’t just commonplace, they’re everywhere. But it’s one thing to advertise an installation service, it’s another entirely to communicate the benefits of a smart home ecosystem to homeowners.

One of the ways an agency that specializes in home service PR can spread the smart home message more effectively is through earned media. Rather than just putting up another billboard or running a local TV ad, public relations can give your company an edge on the competition by shaping the stories people actually want to read. Who better to ask about the future of the smart home or electric cars than a master electrician?

Home Service Companies Need to Show They Can Keep Up

The tech industry changes quickly, and projecting a forward-thinking and responsive image is important. Consider the impact electric cars are having on electricians around the country. Just ten years ago, they were nonexistent, and most homes were able to provide adequate electrical capacity for daily use. Add an electric car to the mix, and now homeowners need a 240-volt outlet in the garage, possibly even new wiring and electrical panel.

This may be one of the most important advances in electrical work to have occurred in the past fifty years, and it’s giving the electricians who can provide these services a boost to their revenue. But not everyone who buys a Tesla knows how to prepare their home for it, and that’s where home service public relations can help.

We work with homee service public relations every day – combinings traditional brand awareness strategies — search engine optimization, driven by blogs and social media, and earned media spotlights and press releases — with a true experience and understanding of the industry.

The PR Solution that Understands You

At Ripley PR, our clients are our greatest strength. We spend the time to get to know them and the industries they operate in. We closely follow not just how the industry changes, but how our clients change with it, and use that to drive public relations campaigns that work. If it’s time to find a home service public relations agency for your business, contact Ripley PR at (865) 977-1973.

Jared Sebby

This post was written by on February 26, 2020

Don’t Trust Your PR to an RFP

The request for proposals (RFP) is a time-honored tradition between corporations and public relations agencies, but it’s quickly joining fax machines as a relic of the way things used to be.Business person shaking hands.

In my experience, many of the agencies that search out RFPs are generalist agencies that have a more difficult time attracting new business.  A recent article in PR Week had this scathing feedback about RFPs:

If the client-agency relationship is like a marriage, then RFPs might be the worst dating app ever. That’s why PR firms are saying they’re swiping left on more RFPs without even considering a first date.

Selecting a B2B public relations agency is an incredibly important decision for your business. It involves a huge amount of trust to hand the reins of your company’s public relations to an outside agency. So, why are you handing the responsibility to the lowest bidder or the agency that guesses at solutions for your business challenges?

Getting to Know You

Any way you slice it, an RFP is not an ideal way to create a relationship with a public relations agency. It’s not the best way to communicate your company’s culture and needs, either. RFPs typically contain so little information that agencies are guessing at your goals.

At Ripley PR, we believe strongly in tailoring our PR approach to the specific needs of each client. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to PR, in my opinion. We create our initial communications strategy and media lists around each client’s needs, providing bespoke deliverables to each. We invest time and energy into understanding each client’s unique business goals and challenges. That’s the best way to craft strategies that get results.

A New Approach

When your B2B company puts out an RFP, that means you need a partner. And the best partner will create savvy communications campaigns that speak straight to your marketspace.

When you need public relations services, consider flipping the script. Seek out agencies with experience in your industry. Interview them, contact past and current clients, and get to know their leadership personally. This way, you’ll be sure to retain the best talent and industry knowledge available, a far better use of your resources.

At Ripley PR, we don’t typically respond to RFPs. We prefer to speak directly with potential clients, creating relationships for enduring success. We’re not just vendors and order-takers. We’re partners on your brand’s journey and we bring ideas that will help take your business to the next level.

If you’re looking for a real public relations partner, we would love to speak with you. Just call us at (865) 977-1973 or contact Ripley PR online today.

Heather Ripley, Founder/CEO

This post was written by on February 26, 2020

Supercharge your IT Company with Healthcare IT Public Relations

Artificial intelligence (AI) is become a widespread force across the health industry this year, but healthcare IT companies can face challenges that can be disastrous when things go wrong. Healthcare IT public relations can help protect your company’s image against bugs and patient dissatisfaction.

Avoid an image disaster with healthcare IT public relations.

Why Does My B2B Healthcare AI Company Need Public Relations?

Machine learning is still a relatively new technology, and that means AI companies can face challenges that aren’t common in other parts of the healthcare industry. At the most basic level, the public may still be wary of unproven technology. More serious issues like biased algorithms and bugs or security flaws can damage your reputation, requiring a skilled hand and a public relations-driven crisis management plan to resolve.

Communicating your project’s capabilities and potential in a clear way, without indulging in hype or overselling what it can do is critical for building long-term market success. An agency that understands the unique advantages and disadvantages of healthcare AI can communicate your product’s goals and functions with clarity, and ease your client’s concerns about the product.

Why Do I Need a PR Agency with Healthcare IT Expertise?

While any PR agency can deliver general strategies that might work, people can tell when a company’s public relations approach doesn’t match their product or brand. The last thing a business should do is deceive its customers, especially in the healthcare space. But without the expertise and understanding that an agency specializing in healthcare IT can provide, you might be at risk of doing just that.

Groundbreaking, fast-moving industries need dynamic strategies to match, and healthcare IT public relations can provide those effectively. As your business moves, our approach can move with it. Contact Ripley PR at (865) 977-1973 and start working with an agency that understands the unique concerns and needs of your AI-driven healthcare IT business.

Jared Sebby

This post was written by on February 24, 2020

Why Your Franchise PR Agency Should Know the Industry Like You Do

As a franchise company, you know your industry well. But does your current public relations agency?

When it comes to creating successful franchise public relations strategies that can propel you to the top of your space, you need more than an agency that understands franchising at a surface-level. You need one that also has real knowledge and experience in your industry.

Every Franchise Is Special, and No Two PR Strategies Are Alike

Franchises exist in almost every commercial and service space, from automotive customization to home service, from restaurants to retail. That means a franchise PR strategy needs to be unique, too. It’s no secret that a public relations plan works best when it’s tailored to fit the company it serves, and part of being a successful agency is knowing how to shape strategies that can fit our clients perfectly.

Attracting Franchise Owners Requires Niche Expertise

The only way to build a strategy with the level of precision required to attract franchise owners in today’s market is to leverage an insider’s perspective. Lucky for our clients, we have one. Our agency is built on years of franchise experience.

When I started Ripley PR, I drew from my own experience managing marketing and PR for a national franchisor with more than 600 locations, and delivering results with branding, social media and promotional campaigns for many B2B companies. In order to draw franchise owners to your opportunity, your PR agency needs to be able to create messaging that resonates with your prospective franchisees.

Franchise Public Relations is a Collaborative Partnership

Finally, a successful franchise PR strategy isn’t built in a vacuum. Designing the right mix of messaging across blogs, social media, earned media and more requires a partnership, not just another line item in your company’s marketing budget. At Ripley PR, we’ll work with you, your current franchisees, and your marketing team to create strategies that work. Contact Ripley PR at (865) 977-1973, and see how franchise PR can help your business grow.

Heather Ripley, Founder/CEO

This post was written by on February 24, 2020

Don’t Trust Your PR to an RFP

The request for proposals (RFP) is a time-honored tradition between corporations and public relations agencies, but it’s quickly joining fax machines as a relic of the way things used to be.

In my experience, many of the agencies that search out RFPs are generalist agencies that have a more difficult time attracting new business.  A recent article in PR Week had this scathing feedback about RFPs:

If the client-agency relationship is like a marriage, then RFPs might be the worst dating app ever. That’s why PR firms are saying they’re swiping left on more RFPs without even considering a first date.

Selecting a B2B public relations agency is an incredibly important decision for your business. It involves a huge amount of trust to hand the reins of your company’s public relations to an outside agency. So, why are you handing the responsibility to the lowest bidder or the agency that guesses at solutions for your business challenges?

Getting to Know You

Any way you slice it, an RFP is not an ideal way to create a relationship with a public relations agency. It’s not the best way to communicate your company’s culture and needs, either. RFPs typically contain so little information that agencies are guessing at your goals.

At Ripley PR, we believe strongly in tailoring our PR approach to the specific needs of each client. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to PR, in my opinion. We create our initial communications strategy and media lists around each client’s needs, providing bespoke deliverables to each. We invest time and energy into understanding each client’s unique business goals and challenges. That’s the best way to craft strategies that get results.

A New Approach

When your B2B company puts out an RFP, that means you need a partner. And the best partner will create savvy communications campaigns that speak straight to your marketspace.

When you need public relations services, consider flipping the script. Seek out agencies with experience in your industry. Interview them, contact past and current clients, and get to know their leadership personally. This way, you’ll be sure to retain the best talent and industry knowledge available, a far better use of your resources.

At Ripley PR, we don’t typically respond to RFPs. We prefer to speak directly with potential clients, creating relationships for enduring success. We’re not just vendors and order-takers. We’re partners on your brand’s journey and we bring ideas that will help take your business to the next level.

If you’re looking for a real public relations partner, we would love to speak with you. Just call us at (865) 977-1973 or contact Ripley PR online today.

Heather Ripley, Founder/CEO

This post was written by on February 19, 2020

You Deserve a PR Partner that Thinks Bigger

We had gathered for drinks at a local watering home for the first occasion of a new tradition — a holiday reunion of old newshounds, all alums of The Maryville Daily Times. Some of my former coworkers are still in the trenches, fighting the good fight, helping create the finest local and national news coverage. Many of us had left the field after long careers, seeking new opportunities and challenges.Knoxville skyline.

We all talked about our current adventures. As I described my time with Ripley PR, a growing Knoxville public relations agency, and some of our awesome clients, a former colleague, who now works for The Wall Street Journal, posed an interesting question: “So, how does an East Tennessee PR firm end up representing a billion-dollar tech company in LA?”

Representing that billion-dollar company for more than 5 years, I might add.

How, indeed?

Thinking Bigger

Ripley PR, as I’ve told anybody who’ll listen over the past few years, has been the best career decision of my life. Heather Ripley, our CEO, has an exciting vision to build an elite public relations agency with a global reach, proving, without a doubt, that a PR firm in East Tennessee can go head to head with any agency, no matter how big or wherever they’re located.

This vision extends to our clients, too. Whether based in East Tennessee or Southern California, businesses shouldn’t have to be content with just local or regional visibility. The team at Ripley PR is ready to help your business break out onto the national or global stage. From Forbes to the Today Show, from TechCrunch to The New York Times, our experts can help you reach bigger and better audiences with your story.

Are You Ready?

If you’re ready to launch into a bigger world of visibility, the public relations experts at Ripley PR are ready to help. We’re not satisfied with just “good enough” results for our clients. We’ll aim higher. Call us at (865) 977-1973 or contact Ripley PR online today.

Joel Davis, Content Supervisor

This post was written by on February 18, 2020

Can public relations boost manufacturing’s image?

Here are some headlines from major news outlets in the first few weeks of 2020:

These all fit the popular perception of American manufacturing as an industry in decline. But the situation is more complicated than that.

two manufacturing workers with tech tablet

Ups and Downs

There are significantly fewer manufacturing jobs in the U.S. now than there were in 2000, but productivity has risen during the same period, in part because of technological innovation. Major manufacturers in the automotive, pharmaceutical, construction and paper industries are continuing to invest heavily in new production facilities around the country, and wages for American manufacturing employees are higher than the national average.

The industry faces big challenges, but its lingering negative image can make the business tougher than it needs to be. Manufacturing’s reputation needs a modern makeover that reflects its position as the backbone of the American economy, its role in innovation and technology development, and the opportunities it presents for young workers.

Emphasize the Positive

One effective step for any manufacturing company that wants to shed the industry’s negative image is public relations. An experienced manufacturing public relations agency like Ripley PR can accurately shape your brand’s story to highlight your commitment to American workers and American products and investment in local communities.

Tools like press releases, media relations, social media management, content marketing and crisis communications can help increase brand awareness, build your company’s reputation and credibility, recruit talent and support your effort to generate leads and sales.

To learn more about manufacturing PR, contact us online or call (865) 977-1973.

Matthew Everett

This post was written by on February 14, 2020

Your buyers are doing their homework so it’s time to let PR help you shine

The home service industry might be one of the most important in the world, even if a lot of folks don’t realize it.

Think about it. Where would we be without working toilets, running water, electricity, heat, air conditioning and all those other little comforts we take for granted?

Often, we’re quick to thank the folks who keep these things running, but the hidden heroes are the folks behind the scenes, like HVAC manufacturers. A strong home service public relations agency like Ripley PR can help shine a light on those companies, though.

Quality mattersResearch and documents

B2B sales are very different from B2C. When selling to consumers, there are plenty of ways to reach them, from YouTube to a President’s Day sale. B2B sales and communications, though, are based on strategy, scope, scale and complexity.

B2B buyers are going to be looking at a number of things, from your usefulness to reputation. They’re doing online searches before you’ve even managed to get them on a phone call. B2B buyers don’t want to get their info from your sales brochure or a salesperson but rather through good old-fashioned research. While we can’t help you with pricing, building reputations is what we do best.

Building a reputation

We work with B2B clients every day, helping them develop messages, create content and more. Your value doesn’t come from a price tag, but something much more in-depth. You may know your product is awesome, but you need to be able to relay that to your audience, which includes your peers and fellow experts. That’s where we come in.

From creating industry thought leaders to increasing brand awareness, we help each of our clients build a reputation of trust and reliability. We’re there to share your successes and product news. We’ll even have your back during a potential crisis, although we hope you never need it.

We love working with B2B companies, and we’d love to work with yours. Contact Ripley PR today at 865-977-1973 and let us get started.

 

 

Amanda Greever

This post was written by on February 12, 2020

3 Reasons to Hire a PR Company that Understands the Home Service Industry

If you’re a business owner, you’ve already heard about how important public relations is.

Brand awareness, messaging and defining your target audiences are all key aspects of your business that PR touches. And all of those aspects go into building your Home service companies need home service public relations.company’s reputation in the industry and the local community.

But sometimes, hiring just any old, non-specialized PR agency can actually hurt you. Why? Because they don’t know your industry. They don’t understand the importance of local media coverage and trade-specific contacts the way a specialized home service public relations agency does.

So, here’s why finding a specialized home service PR agency is vital for your home service company:

You’ll reach the right audiences

If you’re not reaching the right audiences with your brand messaging, you’ll likely begin to feel like you’re talking to a brick wall.

A trusted, specialized PR agency will know all the right channels and contacts to use. They will understand the importance of making sure your name appears where potential customers can see it.

So let your specialized PR agency focus on reaching your target audiences while you focus on the other important aspects of running a successful, strong home service business!

Your message will be industry-specific – when it needs to be

Your specialized home service PR agency will know exactly when to use industry-specific lingo and jargon, and when to steer clear of it. And better yet – they’ll already understand and speak the lingo and jargon!

And in turn, while you focus on building a great business, your PR agency can focus on making sure you get all the best future customers and employees.

Trusting a generalized agency with your home service company’s messaging can create more work for you in educating them, because they won’t know the nuances of the difference audiences you’re trying to reach. Conversely, with a specialized PR team, you’ll know you won’t have to worry about how your message is being crafted.

Your business will grow

It’s simple – PR means managing your brand awareness, optics, messaging and reputation, which causes your company to become top-of-mind with customers and potential employees. That’s how PR grows businesses.

The catch is that only industry-specific PR teams will really understand how the home service field works and know all the players involved.

So PR is vital for company growth – but only if it’s the right kind of PR.

At Ripley PR, we know the home service field better than anyone. Our team members have been involved in the industry for over a decade, and we’d love to help you out! Contact us today at Ripley PR to find out more.

Avatar

This post was written by on February 10, 2020

Is PR the key to more home service franchise conversions in 2020?

The home service industry – plumbing, heating, air conditioning, electrical and more – is a complicated space in which to own and run a business.

To have the combination of skills necessary to not only know the trade and provide stellar service to homeowners but to actually market and grow a successful business in the space is rare. Unfortunately, a large number of our first-world heroes that provide us with clean water and comfortable homes may know how to execute a flawless install but seem to hit a performance ceiling in their business they just can’t seem to break.

As a home service franchise, you’re likely offering conversions as an attractive solution for business owners seeking the next level of revenue and security, but are you actually getting the conversion leads you desire?

If you haven’t considered partnering with a franchise public relations team that also has decades of collective experience in the home service industry, 2020 is a great year to start.

At Ripley PR, we’re proud to know and speak the language of both franchising and home service. We understand the value a franchise conversion opportunity holds for many business owners in trades, and we’d love the opportunity to help you communicate that value.

Let’s talk trades

Besides the immediate brand recognition, we know that one of the most powerful benefits to being part of a franchise system is the marketing engine. Harnessing the power of marketing and public relations isn’t typically a strong suit for many home service business owners, which means there’s a wealth of potential leads out there that would love the opportunity to be part of a system that empowers them in these areas – you just need to reach them.plumber is happy after converting his business to a franchise

A strong focus on franchise and business media is a great place to start for generating new franchise leads, but to take your conversion leads to the next level it’s critical to maintain a presence in the publications consistently read by contractors.

When you partner with Ripley PR to boost your conversion leads, we’ll launch a strategic franchise public relations campaign to enhance your visibility in the home service trade media.

Some tactics we’ll employ include:

  • Developing and distributing press releases that showcase your growth and cement you as a leading option for contractors interested in converting to a franchise
  • Pitching timely story ideas to journalists in the trades that include you as a reliable source
  • Crafting educational, bylined articles for your leadership team that position you as trusted experts in the industry and reinforce credibility

If you’d like to know more about how we can help your home service franchise, contact us today at (865) 977-1973.

Grayson Shockley

This post was written by on February 7, 2020

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