5 ingredients for a successful digital PR campaign
Laura Crimmons @lauracrimmons
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76% of journalists feel more pressure now to think about their story’s potential
to get shared on social platforms
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# 1 :
Timing
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Give the journalist a reason to cover it now or you’ll end up at the
bottom of the pile
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Identify internal
experts & create author
page
Build calendar of potential
‘events’
Proactively contact
journalists ahead of
‘event’ with predictions or offer of live commentary
Monitor for ‘events’ to
target from a reactive
perspective
Newsjacking - Proximity to a trending topic
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Tap into a national holiday or event
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Use the past to predict the future…
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Offer an exclusive
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Think about the risks…
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What upcoming ‘events’ might take precedent over your story
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# 2 :
Imagery
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“A picture’s worth a thousand words”
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What was the last news story you saw without an image?
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It’s not just about static images though…
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% of pages with video
23% 78% 56% 54% 13% 58%
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Think about the websites you’re targeting and what
type of imagery you’ll need
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# 3 :
Copyability
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A S K Y O U R S E L F :
“Can a journalist tell the story without linking to me?”
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If the answer is yes, go back to the
drawing board…
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If the answer is no, celebrate!
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A press release does not justify a link
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Data on its own does not justify a link
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A pretty picture on its own does not justify a link
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Also think; could this story be about a competitor?
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# 4 :
Human/ Relatable
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The all-important ‘So what?’ question
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# 5 :
Shock/ Emotion
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“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget
what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
― Maya Angelou
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Emotions
Fear
Anger
Sadness
Joy
Disgust
Trust
Anticipation
Surprise
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@lauracrimmons #SASconBeta
@lauracrimmons #SASconBeta
Emotions
Fear
Anger
Sadness
Joy
Disgust
Trust
Anticipation
Surprise
@lauracrimmons #SASconBeta
@lauracrimmons #SASconBeta
@lauracrimmons #SASconBeta
Emotions
Fear
Anger
Sadness
Joy
Disgust
Trust
Anticipation
Surprise
@lauracrimmons #SASconBeta
In summary…1. Why is this relevant right now?2. Are there any other planned events that might interfere with my story?3. What can help people to visualise the story I’m trying to tell?4. Is a static image right or does it need video/animation?5. Could this campaign be done by one of my competitors?6. Am I covering something that hasn’t been done before?7. Can a journalist write about my campaign without having to link to me?8. What’s the human element — who does my story help/affect?9. Are there case studies I can find to tell the story for me?10. What emotions does my story tap into?11. Is my story shocking or too obvious?