Social media influencer marketing continues to be a popular tactic for reaching targeting audiences, and it’s a tactic we continue to suggest in our content marketing work. Influencer marketing isn’t totally standardized from creator to creator, which means launching a successful influencer engagement takes time, research and budget. Some creators may work in an unpaid capacity in exchange for free product, but that kind of engagement isn’t as common as it once was. Before you start outreach, we have four pointers for you to keep…
Clients come to us for a variety of reasons – from wanting press coverage for a new product to helping generate awareness for their organization as a whole. Sometimes they know which tactics would move the needle, but more often, it’s not so clear. That’s where a Research & Insights audit comes in. A Research & Insights project is a comprehensive review of an organization’s materials, messaging, audiences and competitors using internal, external and third-party research. The result: a deep understanding of key messages, audience…
Performance data for specific channels will help you gauge how engaged your audience is, based on the type of action they’re taking. However, tracking, analyzing and reporting against a content marketing campaign can be tricky. There’s a wealth of data you can pull from your website, blog and social channels. So instead of leaving your team to guess which metrics are important, use these KPIs as a guide for earned, owned and paid content. Paid promotion metrics Digital advertising platforms have become increasingly informative. Marketers…
To post, or not to post, that is the question. Should you post short, topical posts at a high frequency, or is it better to post in-depth posts with only the most highly targeted information less frequently? The answer lies somewhere in between. What you want are quality blog posts in a quantity that drives traffic to your website, converts that traffic into leads, establishes your brand as an authority and drives long-term results. But, with an increasingly click-free organic search experience thanks to AI…
A public relations strategy is like the stretch of I-64 between Richmond and Virginia Beach No, really, stay with us on this one. It’s never really finished. It’s a work in progress. You’ll always work from Point A to Point B, but occasionally, you’ll take some detours, try new things, evaluate what works and what doesn’t and apply your learnings the next time you travel. A public relations strategy is similar in that you often know your starting point and ending point. And while you…
All too often, we find ourselves getting trapped in the weeds of the day to day and we forget to take a step back to look at the big picture. Big picture goals, of course, aren’t tactical goals like posting on your blog or social channels more frequently. Those are the elements that lead to achieving big picture goals. Instead, think more along the lines of gaining more customers, improving customer-retention numbers or increasing public awareness of an issue in order to secure funding. Here…
In this bonus episode, we’ve talked to the new leadership team at Hodges about our recent transition announcement. You’ll hear from Jon Newman, Paulyn Ocampo, Lindsay O’Bar, Greg Surber, Sean Ryan and Josh Dare about what this means to them, what their goals are for the future of the agency and you’ll learn exactly what Josh has planned for his upcoming retirement. Related Links A different Hodges…the ownership. Hodges’ Instagram with Announcement Content
If you’re like a lot of organizations, you’re already practicing some kind of content marketing. You may have a blog that you post to regularly, or perhaps you’re active on social media. But despite this activity, do you have a strategy? Are you making progress? And toward what? If you’re not sure, here’s how to refine your content marketing strategy when you’ve already been producing content. This blog post is right for you if you’re already producing content, but your posting schedule and topics are…
To say 2025 is a year of change at The Hodges Partnership is a bit of an understatement. We moved, we changed our brand and we focused on how we evolved over the years to solidify our “different” direction for the future. Today we announce something completely different, a new ownership structure. This announcement comes with a range of mixed emotions. Happiness, pride, a bit of sadness. It also comes with 23 years of great memories as well as tremendous excitement for the years to…
The Hodges Partnership, an award-winning public relations firm, announced today that four members of the firm’s senior management team – whose combined tenure at the Richmond-based agency totals close to 70 years – have entered into an ownership agreement with the founding partners, a deal that will incrementally transfer ownership of the 23-year-old firm over the next several years to the four senior vice presidents. Founded in 2002 by Jon Newman and Josh Dare, Hodges has grown to become the largest independently owned public relations…
Relationships are the name of the media relations game. And if you ask a group of public relations practitioners how they’ve found success in the realm of media relations, it’s not likely you’ll get two of the same responses. This is because at its core, there is no exact science to media relations – what works for one might seem archaic to another. But there is one constant among media relations experts: They’ve worked hard cultivate and maintain relationships with reporters. And while establishing these…
On May 12-17, Navy Week returned to the River City for its second visit since 2022. This time with an even bigger reason to celebrate, the Navy’s 250th anniversary. Sailors arrived in Richmond ready to celebrate with musical performances, STEM demos, community service, and hometown pride. Navy Week is the Navy’s principal outreach effort in U.S. cities without a strong Navy Prescence. Richmond was one of 15 U.S. cities chosen to host Navy Week in 2025. To support the week’s efforts, the Navy partnered with…
