The way you win at the PR game is by getting the most PR in the shortest period of time. Quality matters, naturally, but what you want is quality PR in great quantities. Winning the PR game can be done with the right agency. This guide is going to show you exactly how you can run your public relations campaign to success with only a few minutes spent on it each day.
Start Gathering Reviews
Word of mouth marketing is the most powerful type of marketing in the world. 74% of people consider word of mouth marketing to be a major influencer in their purchasing decisions. The more positive reviews you have the better. That's why you need to start taking into account the number of positive words you have on social media and on consumer platforms like Yelp.
Begin gathering reviews by asking for them. Go back to your previous customers and ask if they would be willing to leave a review. You can offer a future incentive, but there's often no need to because loyal customers are always willing to help.
Produce Something Newsworthy Every Month
The problem with most companies is that they don't have anything newsworthy. Even the best PR agency in the world can't help you if you have nothing to talk about. Get around this by going out of your way to do something that people are going to be interested in.
It doesn't have to be the release of a new product. You can impress people just by showing what your company is doing for charity. Alternatively, you can run a brand new social media campaign. You just need something to shout about so people can get interested in what your company is doing.
Remember, the key to PR is in social media because that's where people are going to connect with you the most often.
Follow the Media Online
Journalists and editors are always looking for new content in which they can enhance their own brands. If you can connect with them, you can use their influence to improve the value of your brand. This is known as influencer marketing and is amazingly effective at generating a buzz.
To win the PR game, you need to follow these media figures. Connect with them on social media and start interacting with their Tweets. Steadily build up a relationship with them over time and they are going to be more likely to listen to what you have to say when you want to get some publicity.
Just make sure that you aren't submitting a standard email pitch. These people receive thousands of pitches every single year, so the last thing they want is something generic. Twitter and Facebook are two of the best ways to get around that cluttered email inbox.
Start Newsjacking
You already know that content is king. Everything about PR online is driven forward by relevant, quality content that people actually want to read. Sometimes you don't always have something that's going on, but that's no excuse for vanishing from the PR playing field.
This is where newsjacking comes in. It's the secret weapon that all PR companies use to get consistent coverage. This is simply about making your company relevant, despite the fact that the hot topics of the day don't actually have anything to do with you.
So how do you do this effectively?
Let's say that cybersecurity is the big topic today. In this situation, you would talk about how your company is committed to security and how you are making sure that customers are safe when they deal with you. If the topic of the day was the sharing economy, you would talk about how your company uses Uber to get around the country on business trips.
In short, it doesn't matter how flimsy the connection because you can use it.
Get an Award
One of the PR strategies you should be using right now is the awards system. You want to get your company into a spotlight, so putting it forward for an award can do just that. It would be nice if you managed to win, but ultimately it doesn't matter.
All that matters is the publicity.
Now that you know exactly how you are going to win the PR game, it's time to take action. Consult a PR expert and go out of your way to try new things. How are you going to get ahead of the competition today?