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social media influencers

December 19, 2023 By ZB Group

Want Your Messages to Resonate? Communicate This

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

You may have heard the word “authentic” was announced as the Merriam-Webster Word of the Year for 2023. It immediately resonated with us. This is the 20th anniversary of the company choosing a Word of the Year and evidently there was a huge volume of lookups for “authentic” at their site this year. “Authentic is what brands, social media influencers, and celebrities aspire to be,” wrote Merriam-Webster, the oldest dictionary publisher in the United States.

P.R. and communication professionals are well-aware of the need for their clients to be authentic in any communication activities that they undertake. We counsel clients on the importance of conveying authenticity in their messaging to be considered credible and trustworthy. Believability is intrinsic to building relationships, creating a community, and fostering an honest dialogue with others.

Today’s savvy consumers will tune out the messages from a spokesperson, CEO, or influencer who doesn’t appear genuine. An early December task force at the DealBook Summit featured a discussion about the creator economy. New York Times reporter Christine Muhlke in her piece, “For Content Creators, It’s the Wild Wild West,” reported on the task forces’ findings. She writes, “What creators and brands alike are after is authenticity: Influencers build an audience because they seem relatable. Brands know that the best way to reach consumers is to seem real – or at least align themselves with someone who is.”

Emitting authenticity builds trust in your brand, company, or organization and should be apparent in all forms of external marketing communication activities including social media posts, media interviews, website videos, digital newsletters, and presentations.

Nowadays, people don’t generally relate to perfectionism or an unattainable idealistic lifestyle. When a person, story, or message is portrayed as real or authentic it is more likely to make a positive impression. This new trend was reported in a WSJ story on November 1 showcasing mom influencers who shared what their true imperfect lives as busy moms look like. And similarly in 2023, more celebrities embraced make-up free looks showing off their authentic faces on social media.

This year we saw another new trend promoted on social media called “deinfluencing.” Now some content creators and influencers are sharing their authentic thoughts about products and services they believe people do not need to buy. They are expressing their opinions on why certain beauty products, accessories or expensive clothing are not necessary and may be a waste of money.

“The trend signals that traditional influencer marketing — a $16.4 billion industry last year — has reached an inflection point, experts say. Younger consumers increasingly see through the influencer-brand partnerships, calling companies out for going too far, and creators for prioritizing money over authenticity and promoting overconsumption.” Read the full article in The Washington Post about “deinfluencers” here.

We’ll be watching and will share noteworthy trends that will impact the effectiveness of your messaging in 2024 in future blog posts.

Filed Under: Consumers, General Articles, Journalism, Marketing, Media, Public Relations Tagged With: "deinfluencing", 2023 Word Of The Year, Authentic, content creators, media relations, Merriam-Webster, messaging, New York Times DealBook Summit, promoting brands and services, Public Relations, social media influencers, The Washington Post, Today.com, trends, Wall Street Journal

October 18, 2021 By ZB Group

October is National Women’s Small Business Month

Image: Pixabay

October is synonymous with beautiful fall foliage when nature “reinvents” itself as leaves lose chlorophyll and carotenoids are revealed. It is also National Women’s Small Business Month which recognizes the importance of our country’s female entrepreneurs. We are celebrating by featuring three women who embraced entrepreneurship and reinvention by either launching new businesses or becoming a first-time business owner.

These dynamic women changed course to focus on their passions and build a business. One as an owner of a bed-and-breakfast, another founding a skin care company and the third’s business provides equine based coaching workshops. There are roughly 12 million women-owned businesses in the U.S. according to the United States SBA.

ZB Group was proud to collaborate with these inspiring businesswomen. We shared the benefits that their businesses, products and services provide, and what led them to pursue their dreams, with the media, bloggers and influencers. Snapshots follow with a link to read about our specific collaborations and the media coverage garnered for each one.

Mary Passalacqua, Woolverton Inn

Mary Passalacqua and her husband Mario, are owners of a beautiful historic bed and breakfast in Stockton, New Jersey. Woolverton Inn is nestled on ten acres and surrounded by 300 acres of preserved farmland and forest. It is a convenient destination for year-round getaways, weddings, special events and corporate retreats. After spending more than 25 years working in corporate finance for large manufacturing companies, Mary realized a lifelong dream by purchasing Woolverton Inn in 2016. Today their thriving bucolic inn is a testament to Mary and Mario’s dedication to their guests and staff, investment in the property, commitment to the local community and savvy business acumen.

Idyllic Bed and Breakfast

Edye Dumhart, Edye’s Naturals

A mother of two and a lifelong athlete, Edye Dumhart didn’t plan to become an entrepreneur and a proponent of the benefits of organic skin care products, but she has immersed herself in both. She developed her first product, Edye’s Face & Body Butter, when she was unable to find wholesome non-toxic ones to help her rosacea, sunspots and wrinkles after years of competitive sailing and sun exposure. Through Edye’s hard work, foresight and enthusiasm, her line has expanded. It now features nine nourishing eco-friendly plant-based products. Edye’s Naturals can be found in many locations throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania, at various seasonal craft shows, and on her website.

Edye’s Naturals

Marie-Claude Stockl, The Horse Institute

Located on 30 scenic acres about 100 miles north of New York City, The Horse Institute provides leadership development, team building and communication skills workshops, using Equine Assisted Learning. Founded by Marie-Claude Stockl and her husband Larry Stockl, they are two seasoned corporate executives who believed a different kind of experiential training was possible and necessary beyond the typical conference room and slide show presentations. The business utilizes Marie Claude’s communications expertise honed during her stellar career at Fortune 100 companies and her lifelong devotion to horses. Clients include major pharmaceutical companies and organizations.  

Corporate Training Company

———

Join us in acknowledging the growing number of women-owned small businesses and their countless positive contributions.

Filed Under: Consumers, General Articles, Marketing, Media, Public Relations Tagged With: #nationalwomenssmallbusinessmonth, #NWSBM, digital PR, earned media, Edye's Naturals, media interviews, social media influencers, Storytelling, The Horse Institute, women business owners, Woolverton Inn

June 23, 2021 By ZB Group

Chamber LIVE Interview Featuring a Successful Client Collaboration

Debbie Bayes, co-founder and communications director of ZB Group was interviewed on Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber‘s “Chamber LIVE” show with Mary Passalacqua, owner of Woolverton Inn.

Christine Curnan, host of Chamber LIVE, led the spirited conversation inquiring about their collaboration’s accomplishments, Mary’s advice for new entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners, Mary and Debbie’s career paths, the inn’s interesting history to its modern-day evolution, the affect of the pandemic on the inn, and more timely topics.

The entertaining show, produced by New Jersey Buzz, is set to upbeat background music and enhanced with colorful images of the inn and the lovely surrounding area. Examples of the stories published online and in print about Woolverton Inn as a result of our working together, are featured and discussed.

Video of the full conversation is above with a list of timestamps to listen to specific topics below.

{.41} Mary, after a long successful career in finance, five years ago you became an owner of Woolverton Inn. How and why did you make this career and lifestyle change?

{3:42} Debbie, how did you meet Mary?

{4:48} Mary – The Woolverton Inn is a very historic location can you tell us about the history of the Inn?

{8:13} Mary – What are your favorite parts about running the inn?

{9:21} Mary – Last year was really challenging for many small businesses but especially for those in travel and hospitality. How did you fare when the pandemic hit and are you feeling optimistic about 2021?

{12:20} Debbie – Can you tell us a little about you and the services that your company offers?

{14:18} Debbie – What did your collaboration with Mary entail and what did you accomplish?

{18:11} Mary – What’s your best advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs or for people who may want to buy an existing business like you did with your husband Mario?

For more information about our custom marketing communications services, please email Debbie at dbayes@zbgroupinc.com or call (609) 514-0966.  

Filed Under: General Articles, Marketing, Media, Public Relations Tagged With: brand story, business media, Chamber LIVE, client collaboration, digital media, lifestyle bloggers, networking events, online content, Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber, social media influencers, Woolverton Inn, ZB Group

October 26, 2020 By ZB Group

How to Keep Your Brand in the Limelight

Are you staying connected with clients and customers, driving awareness and trust for your brand and building relationships to keep your business in the limelight? If not, you should be.

Opportunities for in-person meetings with clients, prospects and customers have been curtailed. Before COVID-19 consumers could learn about your brand, company or organization by attending live conferences, networking events, trade shows, social gatherings, large community events or during spontaneous interactions out of the office.

Now with several in-person activities on hold due to public health concerns and many working remotely, consumers are spending more time online reading, watching and listening to news outlets to stay informed, make purchase decisions or to learn something new. Attending virtual events and classes for work, exercise, personal or professional enrichment, have become routine.

During this time, a concerted media outreach effort that is tailored for your specific goals can help you achieve them. For example, it can relay what’s new, describe your products or services’ benefits, authentically share your leaders’ expertise or personal story, increase interest and credibility, or announce new business initiatives. I explain our proven approach with three key elements in this brief video.

According to a new report from journalism professor Damian Radcliffe at the University of Oregon, COVID-19 has boosted subscription numbers for a range of publishers. Make sure your brand is part of the narrative where and when your audience is consuming their news and information.

Here are 8 ways to do this effectively:

  • Draw attention via media interviews on Zoom, email or by phone
  • Schedule socially distanced in-person interviews, if possible
  • Use eye-catching video and images to supplement interviews
  • Coordinate reviews and giveaways with lifestyle bloggers and writers
  • Get featured in holiday gift guides, roundups, “Best of” and “Top 10” lists
  • Participate on podcasts which your audience follows
  • Arrange for profiles in newsletters
  • Engage with social media influencers to share your story, spotlight your products or services or create original content for their communities.

To discuss how we can collaborate using the above strategies and others that will successfully meet your needs, please reach out.

Filed Under: Consumers, General Articles, Journalism, Marketing, Media, Public Relations Tagged With: audience engagement, digital media, digital storytelling, lifestyle bloggers, media coverage, social media influencers, virtual interviews, YourTownTube

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