This post first appeared in Anthony Bullick’s Daily Post column.
If you’re aiming to build your brand’s reputation, effective PR activity is much more than simply having media relations as a tactic.
At its core, public relations is about ensuring your stakeholders have a positive opinion about you to support your business goals such as increasing sales, successful recruitment, and securing planning permission.
Integrated communications performs well against a backdrop of short attention spans, a fragmented media landscape, competition for your audiences’ attention, and savvier consumers.
The first step is to conduct stakeholder mapping to understand your target audiences’ wants, needs, concerns, and expectations, as well as their communication preferences including format and channel.
Review your existing analytics to see current user behaviour, with the data helping to inform your PR strategy, utilising the PESO (paid, earned, shared, and owned) media model.
Having third parties speak positively about your organisation, for example via media relations or influencer marketing, adds credibility to your brand. However, PR activity shouldn’t stop there.
Share the third-party coverage on your own channels including social media, e-newsletter, and your website. In addition, consider using that content within your paid social campaigns.
Be strategic with the resources invested in social media: not all channels are required, and a half-hearted attempt at building an audience on the likes of Tik Tok can do more harm than good.
Having the ability to publish your own content make you a media outlet. While your audience is completely different to that of a more traditional outlet such as the Daily Post or ITV, the people have chosen to follow you on Instagram, sign up to your email, or visit your website, meaning they are highly engaged.
Tell your brand’s story through engaging news articles, position yourself as an industry expert through thought leadership, and shine a light on your employees and expertise through blog posts.
Visuals including infographics and video alongside the copy will help attract and retain attention. Consider the method of delivery for the video, as viewers are switched on and can often tell the difference between an obvious sales message and a genuine attempt to build a rapport.
News-style interviews with key personnel often works better than marketing-led videos with animations and music.
Explore all avenues including webinars, conferences, and podcasts to build relationships and trust with your audience.
Finally, look for collaboration opportunities to tap into wider audiences. For example, if sponsoring a sporting event, how can you leverage the organiser’s reach on their social media or email database?