Why You Need Year-Round Thanksgiving PR Strategies

When I first published this post on November 20, 2007, the world was a different place – for me and my business. Wired PR Works, at this URL, was only about eight weeks old, I wasn’t on twitter and social media was something I read about, not interacted with. Being thankful with year-round Thanksgiving PR strategies is a not so secret sidedish to my writing, consulting, and speaking success.

Being thank-full is a mindset for me that I don’t practice as much as I should. Yet, when I reach out and thank people, it opens the door to a better relationship. For example, when people follow me on twitter or send me a LinkedIn invitation, I check their profile and their site for interesting connections. Then, I send them a direct message that mentions details.

Thanksgiving PR Strategy Tips

Personalization is key

A blanket thanks to everyone isn’t as effective and may actually turn off the relationship at the outset. Who wants to break up before they start connecting?

Yes, it takes more time to write or type a thank you note. I think you’ll be surprised at how the quality of your communications directly impacts relationships. If you want to get to know someone, how do you make time to make the effort?

And now, here’s the original article . . .

When you thank someone, you recognize them for the goodness they bring to your business or your life. When you publicly thank partners, vendors, employees – and of course, clients, your create publicity opportunities for both sides.

Start at the first point of contact

One dreary day I strolled into a splashy gift store. After spending 20 minutes looking around, I walked out empty-handed. On my way out the door, the cashier called out, “Have a nice day!” – the only words she said the entire time I was there. Is it any wonder the store was out of business a few months later?

Let your prospects know – right away – you’re glad they are there.

Bloggers can add a static page or a link to a blog post with a welcome message and a reader’s guide. Want to reach local journalists? A social media comment might start out with, “Thanks for the story you did on time management. Here’s how you helped me.” Online PR is a little different. You can’t “welcome” search engine spiders, but you can link to a welcoming landing page from your news release.

Keep affirming the relationship

When my hard drive crashed, the repair center called to give me a replacement price. I picked it up and didn’t check the receipt until a few days later when I saw they charged me for installation, but not the part. When I went back to the store to pay for the part, the associate took my card and talked about the repair center contact in front of me. But, they didn’t thank me for buying the hard drive. They were too caught up in their own conversation to notice the customer on the other side of the counter.

Always, always, always email or call with a thank you to someone who mentions or refers your business. Use Google Alerts to track where your name shows up. While there’s no need to send a formal thank you note for a Facebook gift app like a cute penguin, you can acknowledge the giver with a quick thank your reply or reciprocate and send them a GIF. Online PR continues from the news release to a landing page to an order page to a – you guessed it – thank you page where you can offer additional products [in addition to thanks].

Be Thank-full at Thanksgiving – and Every Day

Stand out from your competition by showing you care with a personalized message to everyone that contributes to your success. This is the time to think big and write a personal note to authors, bloggers, company presidents, and yes, your mom for the good things in your life. You know you wouldn’t be who you are today without them.

What about you? What or who are you thankful for this year?