Contract Period: 3 Months April-July 2010.

In April, a leading town centre website launched a project to raise its online profile and to create social networking presence on social media websites. The national town centre guide network boosts over 165 websites, and careful planning of a PR and media relations strategy was needed to ensure that the project will successfully raise the brand and presence for not only its current visitors, but to attract more internet users to its websites. The project should also be sustainable to ensure that social networking efforts continue.

We started by identifying where the network needed a presence and keyed in to LinkedIn and Facebook. We created LinkedIn profiles for the company, the director and their key staff. We also took the initiative to connect to various people in the communication and internet industry, and to town council members. We joined and drove discussions on LinkedIn groups and ensured the websites LinkedIn profile is connected to as many people as possible. We also recommended that the company director do the same for his profile, and to post some of his thoughts and opinions on relevant issues and company progress.

As for Facebook, we created a Facebook page and added users and local businesses, and allowed the page to grow organically. We dropped messages and links to event pages, music and drama groups, special interest groups and invited them to place their businesses, events and news details onto the network’s websites. We also advised the network on setting up Twitter accounts for its biggest sites and tweet about the latest events and news, which staff members could update easily.

We also joined various forums and joined in discussions, and using the network as nicknames and putting links on signatures in a below-the-line advertising effort to raise awareness for the network. We’ve also commented on blogs and recommended that the network set up its own blog. We also wrote press releases and newsletters for the network.

The 3-month effort saw an increased traffic to the network, and awareness and recognition from town centre visitors. With sustained use of social networking and the PR strategies we have implemented, we are confident the network will see increased growth in quality and visitor numbers.