Welcome to the Marketing Impact Vlog!
In our recent blog article, Top 10 marketing Must-haves for every marketing plan, we included PR on our list.
Some might think PR is a lost form, or only reserved for big company announcements, but actually, it’s more important than ever before.
There an OLD saying: “Advertising is what you PAY for; Publicity is what you PRAY for.” But it’s just as relevant today because in this crowded media landscape, getting recognition and visibility for your brand is what you work hard to achieve, and we often feel like the ONLY way to break through is to pay for it.
But when you get PUBLICITY, your story is a lot more credible. In other words, if YOU say you’re good, that’s advertising. If someone else says you’re good, that’s PR.
So today we’re going to give you four super-charged ways to boost your PR efforts as part of your marketing plan.
Number 1: Master Your Message for Sharing
Your marketing messages may be very slick and “dialed in” to the benefits and outcomes your customers receive, but how sharable and conversational are they?
Do they put your brand’s goodwill to the world front and center? The human interest, the impact you are making is important.
People (or the media) will share short, impressive stories easily and often.
What is your brand really about that’s different? Why does it matter? Put that into short messages that are fun or interesting, and they will be shared.
Nicole, after you have a great message to share, what’s next?
Number 2: Create New Powerful Pitches Often
Maybe your team had the chance for a media interview or written response to a query but blew it because no one was ready (the turn-around times can be super quick). Or maybe your company avoids seeking publicity and PR altogether out of fear that the wrong information will be shared.
The thing to realize is that the media is always on the hunt for real insights and wisdom that you and your fellow employees possess.
So, take the shareable messages and stories that we talked about in #1, and empower your teams to advocate on behalf of your company. Empower them to seek out opportunities to be recognized.
Regularly create new powerful pitches (i.e., stories) Get them approved by your company. Develop a process for handling short turn-around deadlines. And you’ll always be ready for new media inquiries.
Adam, so far, we’ve talked about PR in the traditional sense—as in working with top media outlets and reporters/journalists, but there’s another layer. Can you talk about that one?
Yes, Number 3. It’s Influencers. You want to Build Connections & Relationships with Influencers
If you are working with your in-house PR team, they are probably most focused on top media for sharing your releases.
But what about all of the potential partners, clients, industry speakers and other connections you’ve made over years? These connections are just as valuable, if not more so, in this day and age. If credibility and trust are what you are focused on with your marketing, find opportunities to create relationships with people in your industry or your customers’ industry.
As you go into events this year, keep an open mind about the relationships you’re building—know that they can be collaborative and win-win in terms of helping you gain positive publicity.
Stay in touch by focusing on how you can help them, and they will do the same for you. That’s how networks grow fast—and thereby your influence and credibility.
And what’s our last one, Nicole?
Number 4: Seek Out Unique Opportunities
This could be a task either for your PR team or for your marketing team.
Seek out unique events, programs, awards, or causes that relate to your industry, job function or even your clients’ industries.
Ask about speaking opportunities, sending submissions for awards on behalf of your clients or for your own company.
I’ll call these micro-publicity opportunities because they may be smaller scale, but they’re usually highly targeted. And if you choose these unique opportunities well, the people who will be exposed to your brand are likely to be important influencers or well-qualified prospects.
Today, we’ve given you four super-charged ways to boost your PR efforts this year, and we’d love to know what else you’ve done to increase your publicity. So leave a comment for us below!
Until next time, Grow your brand…& Drive Demand!
