Social media is a powerful business development tool because consumers often trust referrals from friends on social networking sites more than they trust advertising.  In this case, friends are people that you’ve built a relationship with through ongoing participation in online communities and social networks.  And even though you might only know these “friends” through the internet, a bond and level of trust has been built up over time through interactions and "conversations". And messages from people who know each other well are similar to word-of-mouth, but on steroids!

PAA has been developing successful social media campaigns for companies big and small that are looking for unique, effective and inexpensive ways to find more leads, get more referrals and of course increase sales. Social media is an easy and affordable way to do just that if you understand how to use it.

But what about not-for-profit organizations? How can they get increased gifts in difficult times?

PAA is expanding its development (or fundraising) services to put executives and lay leaders at not-for-profit groups in touch with larger numbers of qualified prospective donors.

We begin by helping executives determine what in their mission can be put into messages that is most likely to strong elicit interest from individuals, foundations, corporations and federal government agencies who have money to donate or grant.  But only to organizations that are bulls-eye on target with the donor’s gift-giving requirements.

So once we determine which parts of a group’s mission are most meaningful today, we conduct extensive research to match donors with these particular aspects of the mission.

Part of our research is conducted with our extensive contact network.  Of course the internet offers a great deal of data and information.  But people who are influencers, gatekeepers and simply friends of friends are of inestimable help.

Sometimes a case must be written for the organization to effectively present itself to new prospective donors.  Other times phone calls and emails can generate sufficient interest.  We begin the process by gaining interest with new prospective donors then, as soon as possible, turn to gift-giving process over to lay leaders or top organization executives, whomever might establish rapport best.

Sometimes, of course, the lay leaders or staff members need preparation before communicating with new prospective donors in tough times.  Often they must change the usual way of doing things to respond to current conditions.

This is an exciting, rewarding process.  Please contact PAA.  We have lots more information for anyone who asks.

Hard to come by, for sure. But doable.

So Peter Arnold Associates (PAA) is expanding our model. We’re still doing media relations that builds on strong relationships with hundreds of the nation’s leading editors, reporters and columnists.

But now, that indirect marketing is only one of our services. We also do direct marketing.

We generate sales leads. And we do this by greatly decreasing the time management needs to spend getting increased requests for more information about products and services from enterprises that need them. And have the money to pay for them.

We also decrease sales cycle time by supplying intelligence about the pains management is feeling and the reasons it is seeking new solutions.

Magic bullets? Oh, how I wish that were true.

No, it requires hard, creative work. Research, developing pitches that hit hot buttons, social networking, telephone calls, and followup.

But PAA is dedicating its years of experience and resources to business development. And getting results.