Eight Proven PR Strategies That Will Get You Results:
Define Your Objectives:
The first 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 best ways to attain them. For instance, using traditional print media might not be the most effective utilization of your own time and resources if you're trying to reach millennials.
Develop Key Messages:
What are you wanting your target market to know about your business? Develop key messages that you should use across your marketing materials, from your own website to your social media posts to your press releases. Consistency is essential in building and maintaining a great brand identity.
Build Relationships With Targeted Media Outlets:
Getting to know the journalists and editors who cover businesses like yours can pay off in the long run. Keep a set of targeted media outlets and make an endeavor to see their content regularly so you realize what kind of stories they like to cover. Then, if you have a story that's an excellent fit, don't hesitate to reach out and pitch it.
Be newsworthy:
Nobody wants to learn a boring press release saturated in just self-promotion. To obtain media coverage, you need to have a newsworthy story—something that might be of interest with their readers, viewers, or listeners. Will there be something unique or special about your business? Are you doing a thing that nobody else is performing? If so, that's newsworthy!
Write Compelling Press Releases:
How do I write a press release? Hoe schrijf ik een persbericht? After you have a newsworthy story to share with, it's time for you to write a compelling press release which will grab busy journalists' attention and get 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 mass email blast with your press release is not a fruitful way to obtain media coverage. It'll likely just end up in the Trash folder of busy journalists who receive dozens, or even hundreds, of pitches each day. Instead, take a moment to research each outlet and determine the best way to submit your pitch—whether that's via email, social media marketing, 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 device calls from reporters to start rolling in—that rarely happens! The follow-up is simply as necessary as the pitch itself, so pick up the phone or shoot over a contact 24-48 hours after sending out your release. This demonstrates you're committed to getting coverage and gives reporters another chance to take into account covering your story.
Conclusion:
Implementing even 1 or 2 of the PR strategies will make an impact in getting valuable media coverage for your business. But success takes time, so don't get discouraged in the event that you don't see results immediately.