Search Engine Marketing, SEM

Understanding Search Engine Marketing

MP&F Staff Blog, Insights

Have you ever thought about what happens behind the scenes when you “Google” something? Odds are, it’s a lot more than you think. As soon as you click Search, a bidding war begins between the products and services that are using paid search ads on Google. This is called search engine marketing, or SEM, and it should be part of any client acquisition, lead generation or e-commerce marketing campaign. Earlier this month, Google made a major announcement that its AdWords platform will be converted into Google Ads. This change is not only cosmetic; it will enhance the way you create, …

Why Staying Relevant Is More About Consistency Than Change

Keith Miles Blog, Insights

MP&F partner Keith Miles serves as a professional adviser for the PRSSA and, through this, is given the opportunity to share his knowledge with the next generation of PR practitioners. He recently wrote a blog post about the importance of maintaining a curiosity about the world and the importance of relationship building. It first appeared on the PRSA blog PRSay. Read Keith’s entire post below. With all the talk lately about changes in how our clients communicate with audiences – disruptive technologies, innovation, shifting consumer habits – certain key aspects of the PR profession have remained constant. We still use many of the same skills …

Big changes are headed to Facebook (Now’s the time to get ready)

Leigh Lindsey Blog, Insights Leave a Comment

Last week Mark Zuckerberg announced that major changes are in the works at Facebook. The social network is shifting its algorithms again — this time to make sure you are seeing more content from family and friends. It’s likely that changes to Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, are on the way, too. According to Zuckerberg, the shift will take time, but you should see some changes in your news feed quickly. More content in your news feed from people that matter to you means less visibility for content from brands, businesses and news publishers. If your business relies on …

The Marines are coming!

Stacy Alcala Blog, Insights Leave a Comment

More than 700 Marines are headed to Music City! MP&F Public Relations is working with the United States Marine Corps on their largest community outreach event of the year: Marine Week from Sept. 7 to 11. The events will feature hands-on displays, live demonstrations, time-honored Marine Corps traditions, an array of musical performances by the Marines and other artists, and additional events to showcase the history, military capabilities and community involvement of the Corps. All free. All open to the public. And all family-friendly. In preparation for this event, I had the chance to travel to Parris Island, S.C., to …

Making the Most of Email Marketing

MP&F Staff Blog, Insights Leave a Comment

In the world of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, email is still the No. 1 digital activity. According to online marketing firm Ezanga, 58 percent of adults check their email first thing in the morning. Here are a few tips to help you optimize your email marketing: Create personal experiences. Don’t aim to sell; aim to enrich by creating a valuable experience through email marketing. This doesn’t mean you can’t promote your products or business, but show your customers how your products can benefit them. Know your audience. Most email marketing tools allow you to segment your mailing list into …

Staff Development Plan Pays Dividends

Alice Chapman Blog, Insights 1 Comment

MP&F partner Alice Chapman recently attended her fourth PRSA Counselors Academy Spring Conference, an annual event where independent agency owners and other senior leaders come together for professional development and networking. Chapman penned an article for PRSA’s monthly publication, Public Relations Tactics, expressing the importance of staff development and keeping employees engaged. We have provided Alice’s full column below with the permission of Public Relations Tactics. I recently returned from PRSA’s Counselors Academy Spring Conference, an annual event where independent agency owners and other senior leaders come together for professional development and to trade ideas and tactics on running a successful PR …

NashvilleNext receives national planning award

Keith Miles Blog, Insights 1 Comment

At the risk of being a little boastful, we’ve had a pretty good run over here with awards lately. Our Kirkland’s work picked up Best of Show at this year’s PRSA Nashville Parthenon awards, the second straight year we’ve brought home the prize. Add to that our Imperial bottle-level awards for Red White and Food, including our sixth national Silver Anvil Award, and we have been enjoying the most success in our company’s 29-year history. But as much fun as it is to win awards, it’s just as exciting to see our clients hit the top of their fields through …

Being Clear About Your Online Content

MP&F Staff Blog, Insights Leave a Comment

There was a time when the editorial and advertorial worlds had clear lines of demarcation. It was easy to tell the difference between an investigative report and an ad. However, the days of this “Church and State” arrangement have been disrupted by the sheer weight of online content we now see on a daily basis. As we’ve moved from a print-dominated to a digital world, new avenues for promotion like native advertising have blurred this once easy-to-read landscape. And with social media and online influencers, this line can be even murkier – in some cases being obfuscated on purpose to …

Working With Good Research

David Fox Blog, Insights Leave a Comment

My colleagues Mark McNeely and Alice Chapman, along with an incredible MP&F team, have just completed a clean sweep of national awards honoring their work for the statewide “Red White and Food” campaign to allow the sale of wine in Tennessee retail food stores. Not only did they win “Best of Show” at the local Parthenon Awards last spring, they’ve just completed the trifecta of national awards – the SABRE Award, the Silver Anvil Award and the PRWeek Public Affairs Campaign of the Year award. For a Nashville public relations firm to claim all of these awards in one year …

MP&F wins PRWeek’s Public Affairs Campaign of the Year for Red White and Food Campaign

MP&F Staff Blog, Insights Leave a Comment

We are excited to share that MP&F took home yet another national honor for the Red White and Food campaign at the PRWeek Awards in New York City last Thursday. In the article below, PRWeek explains why MP&F’s and the Red White and Food Coalition’s work won the 2016 Public Affairs Campaign award: ‘Where’s the wine?’ That message, uttered by shoppers in Tennessee grocery stores, was the rallying cry of MP&F Public Relations’ campaign to allow wine sales in the state’s grocery establishments. The process was harder than it sounds. Although state legislators passed a measure that would allow wine …