Eight Proven PR Strategies That Will Get You Results:
Define Your Objectives:
The first faltering step in an effective PR campaign is defining your goals. Then, you can tailor your PR efforts accordingly.
Know Your Target Audience:
Who is your target market? Knowing who you're trying to achieve can help you determine the very best ways to achieve them. Like, using traditional print media mightn't be the best usage of your time and resources if you're trying to attain millennials.
Develop Key Messages:
What do you want your market to know about your business? Develop key messages that you need to use across your marketing materials, from your own website to your social networking posts to your press releases. Consistency is vital in building and maintaining a solid brand identity.
Build Relationships With Targeted Media Outlets:
Observing the journalists and editors who cover businesses like yours can pay off in the long run. Keep a list of targeted media outlets and make an effort to read their content regularly so you know what sort of stories they like to cover. Then, when you yourself have a story that's a good fit, don't hesitate to touch base and pitch it.
Be newsworthy:
Nobody wants to read a boring press release packed with only self-promotion. To obtain media coverage, you have to have a newsworthy story—something that would be of interest for their readers, viewers, or listeners. Will there be something unique or special about your organization? Are you currently doing a thing that no body else does? If that's the case, that's newsworthy!
Write Compelling Press Releases:
How can I write a media release? Hoe schrijf ik een persbericht? Once you've a newsworthy story to share with, it's time to write a compelling press release that will grab busy journalists' attention and buy them stoked up about covering your story. Keep your press releases short and sweet, and ensure they include all relevant details (Who? What? When? Where? Why?).
Distribute Your Press Releases Strategically:
Sending out a large email blast together with your press release isn't a fruitful way to obtain media coverage. It'll likely just end up in the Trash folder of busy journalists who receive dozens, if not hundreds, of pitches each day. Instead, take a moment to research each outlet and determine the easiest way to submit your pitch—whether that's via email, social media, or an on the web submission form.
Follow Up After Sending Your Press Release:
After sending out your press release, don't just sit back and wait for the telephone calls from reporters to begin rolling in—that rarely happens! The follow-up is just as necessary as the pitch itself, so grab the phone or shoot over a contact 24-48 hours after sending out your release. This demonstrates you're dedicated to getting coverage and gives reporters another chance to think about covering your story.
Conclusion:
Implementing even 1 or 2 of these PR strategies could make a big difference in getting valuable media coverage for the business. But success does take time, so don't get discouraged in the event that you don't see results immediately.