Every business should have a growth strategy. Without strategic planning it’s a hit-and-miss operation. Digital PR can play an important role in that strategy. Here are five good PR actions you can implement right away:
- Twitter lists: A quick and easy way to tap into your audiences’ conversations is Twitter lists. Create a list for influencers, brand advocates and reporters (keep the lists separate.) Monitor their tweets. Find out what they talk about, what they like and dislike. Offer them content that fills their needs. Respond and join their conversations. Tool of choice to maximize engagement: Sendible
- A CRM system for influencers: Once you are in contact with influencers, analysts, reporters and brand advocates you need a system to keep track of your engagement with them. GO beyond social media and start a personal relationship with your important contacts. Sendible has an excellent CRM system that allows you to build lists of contacts and keep track of every interaction.
- Tell Your Story Visually: Study after study shows that images, video and infographics get more views and shares than text alone. Learn how to take great photographs, how to edit images and make ‘eye-candy’ social posts. Most important of all, learn to make interesting videos that tell your brand story. Facebook Live and other Livestreaming services are flavor of the month right now. Get the Visual Content Guidebook.
- Distribute your content wisely: You need to maximize owned, earned, paid and social media. Post to your social accounts, but take the time to individualize each post so it is created specifically for that platform. (See this Cheat Sheet.) Use a wire service that allows you to add multimedia without breaking the bank. Newswire is our choice.
- Maximize your Online Newsroom: The media and the public are paying more attention to the news section of a company’s website. This is the area they go to find the most current content about your brand. A bland, text-only press release graveyard is not doing you any good. The media is under pressure today and they are running on a 24/7 deadline. Make your newsroom easy to find on your site. When they get there offer them easy-to-use resources that will help them do their job. Your newsroom should have
- Helpful content that is well-organized and easy to use.
- A multimedia gallery with images and videos. Each asset should have an embed code for instant use.
- An expert database so they can swiftly find someone in your company to interview. Add video on each expert, so they can see how they come across in a video interview. (You might have to do some media training with your experts!)
- Contact details – the lack of contact information on news content is still the number one complaint from reporters.
Online Newsroom platform of choice: PRESSfeed.
Every strategy needs goals so that you can measure your progress. So when you put your plan together remember to set goals that are specific, have a time component and can be measured.
