5 tips for effectively navigating pr

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5 tips for effectively navigating PR

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Embarking on a PR campaign can seem like a minefield.

Who should you contact, with what and when?

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PR can seem like a dark art and there are lots of opportunities to get it wrong and fail to get the desired result, so we have put together these 5 tips for ensuring public relations success.

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It’s all about the targeting Adopting a ‘spray and pray’ approach to getting your content out there will not only get your communications ignored, it will also get your future attempts consigned to the junk folder.

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So if you are thinking of copying and pasting a press release into an email and sending it out to your entire journalist contact list...

STOP NOW!

Take time out to research the right journalists.

Find out what they write and only contact them when you have something relevant.

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This targeted approach will be much more warmly received and journalists will start to be receptive to your content, knowing it will be well thought out and relevant.

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Quality not quantityIt can be tempting to churn out endless press releases and hope that some of them gain traction.

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However, a much more effective approach is to step back, consider what the readers of the publications are interested in, and how you can provide genuinely interesting news, insight and comment.

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If your content is offering a considered viewpoint or insight on a current issue facing the industry, the chances are journalists will be far more responsive.

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When measuring your PR outputs, make sure you measure the quality of your coverage not just the quantity – there are many PR measurement approaches but choose one that gives you real insight into how well your PR campaign is delivering against the original objectives.

Measuring the number of press mentions is only part of the story.

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Quantify and qualifyWhen producing content don’t fall into the trap that just because you think it’s important, everyone else (including journalists) will think the same.

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It’s a journalist’s job to question everything they receive and if it looks like your content isn’t based on a firm foundation, it will be fast tracked to the trash box.

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If you want to grab the attention of journalists (and readers), think about any industry stats that you can use to give context to what you are saying and if you can, provide research results that support your claims.

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At the end of the day, journalists are looking for content that is relevant, well written and accurate so make sure any content ticks these boxes before you hit that send button!

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Timing is everythingJournalists (especially print journalists) are often working to non-movable deadlines so if they come back to you for information or an interview make sure you respond promptly.

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We all know MDs, CEOs etc. are busy people but the bottom line is that unless you can deliver what they need in time, you won’t be included in the publication.

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The lesson to learn is to choose your spokespeople carefully – a CEO who is rarely available and liable to cancel a journalist interview numerous times is unlikely to help you win over journalists and much more likely to make journalists think of you as unreliable.

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Look for gapsThought Leadership is an overused term, often misused and mistaken for pushing out opinion and ill thought-through content.

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However, a well planned and executed Thought Leadership campaign based on genuinely sourced insight and well written content can deliver immense credibility and exposure for your business.

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The starting point for your Thought Leadership campaign should always be to identify gaps in the industry that are relevant to your company and products.

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Look for areas where there is a knowledge gap or industry issue that needs to be addressed and identify ways you can fill this gap with content that is genuinely useful and engaging.

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