When brands want to raise awareness of their products or services, PR is normally the first point of call. PR is powerful – the public are more trusting and accepting of a brand when the media or someone they know tells them why a brand is great, compared to hearing this directly from the brand itself. PR offers great value and great return on investment, meaning your budget stretches further whilst also broadening your audience reach.
However, despite the great benefits of using PR, some organisations are still baffled as to what is considered good PR, and how to implement it successfully.
To help, Zadro have compiled our top 7 tips on using PR to promote your brand:
1. It’s a relationship game
PR = Public Relations. As its name suggests, it’s about relationships and this should be at the core of your PR activity. Know the people that will help you achieve your goals and establish a relationship. This might not necessarily be press – it could also be a parliamentary leader or politician who you need to support your cause. Like all relationships, it’s a delicate process which doesn’t happen overnight. You’re in it for the long haul, but once a relationship is formed, the joy of a journalist coming to you for comment or content is priceless.
2. Have a story
Ask yourself – is it really a news story? A journalist’s objective is to tell the news their audience needs to know. What content have you got? What makes it important? Why should a journalist write a story about your brand instead of telling you to simply pay for advertising?
3. Know your goal
What is your goal? Is it to sell more of your product, change perception or raise awareness? Clearly identify what will help you reach that goal. Will featuring in a particular key title achieve it? If so, go to point one and establish that relationship with person that can help you.
4. News not sales
Above all things – your press releases should NOT be sales pitches. This is a surefire way to lose yourself PR opportunities and damage potential relationships.
5. Know what’s happening in the news and more specifically the media you want to be appearing
In order to achieve press coverage, you need to be aware of what’s happening in the news and what your target audience will want to know about. Furthermore, your key media wants to know you know their magazine or outlet, knowing the industry and being able to understand what they are looking for will be a big asset to developing the right angle for your media release.
6. The audience
Your marketing activity focuses on your audience and your PR should be no different. Always focus on what content your audience needs and wants to know about.
7. It should be fully integrated to be successful
The best PR campaigns are fully integrated across your marketing, social and advertising activities. Think about your story for media – can this be shared on your website? If your spokespeople are interviewed, are you sharing this on your social media channels and connecting across other channels with your media? Leverage your PR content and recycle this newsworthy content at all possibilities!
Want to make your PR strategy sparkle? Contact the Zadro team on (02) 9212 7867 or email advice@zadroagency.com.au to find out more.
