Tech PR Gems - Topaz Partners Social Media and PR Blog &#187; Shameless Promotions

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Cross Promote Activity for Increased Awareness

Paul Hughes — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:58:02 +0000

On a conference call with a prospect the other day, I mentioned that podcasts would be a great way to reach their audience. The response was lukewarm. When pressed, the prospect said, we’ve done podcasts before, but not that many people listened to them. Turns out, they were recording the podcasts, and then posting them to their website, and that was it.

Like any tool in the marketing mix, if no one knows about it, it’s not going to work. You can write the best release, record the best podcast, have the best collateral but if you don’t link it all together you’re not getting the most out of your efforts.

For example, let’s say someone in your organization writes a white paper. Too often, it gets printed or put on the website and that’s it. At Topaz, from that white paper we would help our client:

- create an abstract and work to get an article either in print or online

- write a synopsis for their blog

- create a podcast from the white paper

- tweet about the white paper, the blog and the podcast

- create a release on the topic that mentioned the podcast, blog and white paper

From one white paper, by cross promoting the activity, we’ve created multiple opportunities to interact with your audience. In budget-constrained times, or any time for that matter, it’s a great way to get the most out of your marketing efforts.

Technorati Tags: Blogging, Communications, Marketing, PR, public relations, Social Media, Topaz Partners, Twitter

Waterless Engine Coolant – The way of the Future…

Paul Hughes — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:08:12 +0000

I was recently at the Performance Racing Industry’s 22nd Annual Show in Orlando with Evans Cooling (client). At the show, all manners of technological advances were showcased as they related to the racing industry.

At the show, Evans showcased their waterless engine coolant. This is a unique engine coolant that overcomes the drawbacks of water-based coolant. Essentially, with Evans product, a vehicle can get better performance, better gas mileage, reduced maintenance, a lifetime coolant that never needs to be replaced providing a reduced the impact on the environment.

While Evans solutions have an application in high performance (race cars, motorcycles, ATVs, etc.) engines, it is also a viable option for virtually any internal combustion engine that has a radiator.

The benefit of Evans that was most interesting to the editors we talked to at the show – with all the talk on climate, the environment and being “green” – was the fact the Evans coolant is currently in testing to be declared non-toxic. With 88% of regular coolant ending up in landfills, this is a tremendous benefit.

Evans is available worldwide, but few folks know about them. Take a minute to visit their website and check out their coolant…www.evanscooling.com. I think you’ll find it interesting.

Technorati Tags: Events, Marketing, PR, technology, Topaz Partners

When recovery comes, will you be ready?

Paul Hughes — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:16:18 +0000

Sitting in traffic on 128 the other day, I saw a bumper sticker that said: “Rapture is coming. Will you be ready?”

It got me thinking – not about Rapture, but about recovery from the current economic conditions. Like Rapture, no one knows for sure when recovery is coming – though they are sure it will. And, like Rapture, some are more prepared than others.

Now, regardless of your views on Rapture, from a communications standpoint, companies need to assess their readiness. If you have slashed your marketing programs, gone “dark” on advertising, scaled back your PR and tradeshow efforts – there is a good chance that the recovery will be much further off for you than others.

Here’s the catch – how do you get ready for recovery without breaking the bank? Here’s two thoughts:

Social Media – have your agency step up activity with blogs, podcasts, tweeting and forums. Start to get back in the swing of things.

Public Relations – Ramp up your outreach activities. Haven’t talked to the press in a while – now’s a good time to do a tour – even if it is by phone.

*Don’t have an agency, give us a call, we’d be glad to help.

If we knew the exact date of recovery (or Rapture for that matter), it would be easy to get ready. But one thing we do know – there are signs in the economy that are pointing in the right direction. Maybe now is the time to get some of your communications activities back in action.

Recovery is, after all, coming. Will you be ready?

Technorati Tags: Communications, PR, Recovery, Social Media

Click here to read David’s story in DM News.

Topaz Partners Featured in DM News Article about Social Media Marketing

Tim Allik — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:31:05 +0000

I talked recently with reporter David Ward of DMNews about how companies are using social media to build their brands and businesses.

David has written a comprehensive story with plenty of examples of social media campaigns in action that are sure to get your mental wheels turning.

One of the most refreshing aspects of social media is that there are no hard and fast rules. It either works or it doesn’t. Many things that work well have frankly never been tried before.

David asked me about how social media marketing can be used in the B to B space. In business-to-business marketing, when it comes to PR and social media, the equation isn’t “either-or.” It’s “and.”

At Topaz Partners, we’ve been talking with OEMs, automotive engineers, investors and trade reporters about the Scuderi Group (our client) and their Scuderi Engine, using everything from Twitter to Facebook to video to podcasts to blogs. It’s been an effective campaign and lots of fun to put together. But we were also jumping up and down recently when the Scuderi Engine appeared in not one, but two stories in the Wall Street Journal. Old media? New media? Who cares? It’s all good!

Entering into the conversation via social media makes sense for businesses, whether you’re talking to consumers or to other businesses. It doesn’t mean you can or should ignore good old-fashioned media relations, but the benefits of social media marketing are becoming clearer by the day.

As I told David Ward of DM News, “We’re now finding b-to-b social media applications can have the same benefit as business-to-consumer in that you can really hone and target an audience—and with b-to-b, one big sale from an application might be enough to carry your company for a month.”

Technorati Tags: B to B, DM News, Social Media, Topaz Partners

IT and business media say Topaz is #1

Todd Van Hoosear — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 19:02:00 +0000

Congratulations to the whole team here at Topaz are in order. Our firm was voted #1 mid-sized tech PR agency in a national survey of over 800 IT and business media journalists conducted by PRSourceCode. THAT feels good!

Happy Anniversary, Tech PR Gems!

Todd Van Hoosear — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:45:04 +0000

Just a few days after Topaz Partners celebrated its sixth year of business, our blog is celebrating its fourth year! Our first post, like most first posts, wasn’t terribly profound, but it did try to help folks understand the whole RSS idea back when most PR agencies were blissfully unaware of the coming social media revolution / evolution / utopia / anarchy.

To give credit where credit is due, Todd Defren beat us on the Boston PR blogging scene by a month. But since that inauspicious start, Topaz Partners has continued to be one of the most innovative PR firms in the region when it comes to social media, if I may say so myself.

This is the blog that helped launch dozens of other blogs, from personal blogs for our employees to CEO and corporate blogs for our clients. Our track record of client blog abandonment remains strong, based on some napkin math I did last night–we’re hitting more than .500, which is pretty impressive given the overall drop in corporate blogging we’re seeing.

UPDATE: AN Hosting and Midphase are crediting me a whole month for being down for most of the day today–THE DAY THIS BLOG IS SUPPOSED TO BE CELEBRATING ITS 4TH ANNIVERSARY! Wow, thanks, guys.

Technorati Tags: anniversary, blog, Blogging, blogiversary, blogs, PR, PR blogs, prblogs, socialmedia

Mashup: It’s not just for software anymore

Todd Van Hoosear — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:03:01 +0000

Last night, Topaz Partners celebrated its 6th anniversary, and the onset of summer, with a real-live Summer Mashup. More than a hundred folks stopped by from local and regional companies, agencies, news outlets and analyst firms. A good time was had by all, and we may turn this into a tradition…

Technorati Tags: anniversary, Boston, mashup, openhouse, party, PR, summer

Take Your Dog to Work Day

Susan — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:57:39 +0000

I have one word for this post: Shameless but who can resist those big ears? What about the fact that this dog has to be the cutest thing ever? Topaz’s very own Christina made the photo gallery on Boston.com’s Take your Dog to Work Day.

I told you this was shameless.

Change

Todd Van Hoosear — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:49:05 +0000

There’s been a lot of change at Topaz Partners lately, both on the surface and behind the scenes. While the national economy continues to falter, there are still very few signs of weakness in the world of technology public relations. That means most of the change has been good. This includes the growth of our client base, both in the region and outside it.

We’re happy to announce that Fairchild Semiconductor, a $1.6 billion public company and a pioneer in transistors and other technologies of the modern silicon age, has signed on with Topaz Partners.

We’re really happy to have them on board. We’re still very much a Boston firm, but our reach is much broader than just New England. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming–I promise we won’t toot our own horns very much here, but I just can’t help but be excited sometimes…

Technorati Tags: Boston, economy, FCS, new england, PR, Tech, tech economy, technology