New Keller Williams article posted in the Denver Post YourHub

Keller Williams agents collect 7,000 pounds of food
Food to be split among three local foodbanks

Recognizing the great need at local food banks, agents at Keller Williams Preferred Realty (11859 Pecos St. in Westminster) and community members mounted their second annual food drive as their project for the recent RED Day (Renew, Energize and Donate). Their efforts resulted in more than 7,000 pounds of food collected and distributed to three organizations-- Community of Faith ( www.cofu.org) in Northglenn, Growing Home ( www.growinghome.org) in Westminster as well as FISH ( www.broomfieldfish.org) in Broomfield.

RED Day is an annual service initiative of Keller Williams Realty International, with each local office organizing an event in its local community. “Its purpose is to show that one day can make a difference in our community,” explains Liz Alvarez, Keller Williams agent and organizer for the food drive. “I’m proud of the way our agents came together for this project, and the food we collected will make a big difference to hungry families in our area.” About Keller WilliamsWith nearly 75,000 agents and more than 700 franchised Market Centers in 45 states and provinces, Keller Williams Realty International is now North America’s second-largest and fastest-growing residential real estate company.  Keller Williams Realty franchised the Colorado Region in 1993 and has succeeded by creating a unique agent-focused model that builds partnerships between agents and local ownership through participation in a life-long, profit sharing program.  In Colorado, the company has 28 locations and more than 2,100 agents.  In 2011, Keller Williams agents achieved a sales volume of more than $2.6 billion.  For more information, contact Team Leader Don Sarno at 303-452-3300 or visit www.kwprnorth.com.

Anderson and Associates placed Ron and Elizabeth Hinds and their Alpacas on Fox31 Thursday morning to promote Alpaca events at the National Western Stock Show.

Edit Bay Comunications is completing the final enhancements to its new BizSiteMaster Software. The software provides complete online management services including: Website, Email Prospecting, Email Marketing, Client management, and many other features.

This software enables Property Managers to better promote individual units and maintain better communication with existing tenants.

Watch for details!

When companies are considering which marketing tools to use for their business, PR should be at the top of the list. Why? Here are the four top reasons:

1. It’s affordable.  PR is recognized as being more cost-effective than traditional advertising. Studies each year show that people believe news stories/editorial more than they believe paid advertising. Nationwide, spending on PR continues to increase because of its positive ROI.

2. Conversations don’t stop with the economy.  Online and word-of-mouth conversations occur 24/7 in social media and in person. PR is recognized as the discipline that is best suited to monitor these discussions for signs of potential crisis and manage them. Consistent PR will build goodwill “equity” that helps when bad news must be communicated.

3. Step forward when everyone else steps back.  As other companies reduce spending to ride out the story, opportunities are created for other companies to step forward. Those firms who are thought leaders in the difficult times can maintain their leadership position for the long term.

4. Be first in line for post-recession purchases.  Tough times will not last forever. Even though people aren’t buying as much as they used to, it doesn’t mean that they are not thinking about their next purchase. Companies that have maintained their PR efforts will be in a better position to take advantage of expanding markets.

A recent survey by Middleberg/Ross media studies showed that almost 98 percent of journalists go online daily to generate story ideas and access information.  Having an online “newsroom” on your web site is a great way to show reporters and other audiences how active your business is.

So, what should be included in your newsroom?  Some of the basics include a company backgrounder, bios on key executives, recent news releases with corporate announcements, and articles positioning your executives as experts in their field.  Other items could include video footage of executives speaking at a conference, your product in “action” or staff involved in community activities.  Post the footage on YouTube and include a link in your newsroom.

With the advent of social media, companies also have a great opportunity to cross promote and extend the value of their newsroom content and publicity.  You can take the headline from a recent news story about your company and Tweet about it, “Read about us in today’s (name of news outlet)” and include a link to the story in your newsroom. 

You can also add a link to the story and a couple of sentences of description to your company’s Facebook fan page. 

While every social media tactic may not fit for your company, use the ones that are appropriate.  Use every opportunity to cross-promote and spread the word regarding the great things about your company.