The Most Important PR Checklist for Success in 2019
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The document outlines effective public relations (PR) tactics for success, emphasizing the importance of brand journalism, media relations, and integrating paid, earned, shared, and owned media. It highlights the significance of storytelling, influencer marketing, and measuring PR outcomes using modern tools. Additionally, the document addresses challenges like fake news and offers a free consultation for PR strategy evaluation.
The Most Important PR Checklist for Success in 2019
- 1. Learn about the best tactics that will set your PR strategy up for success this year
- 2. Setting Yourself Up for Success Ready to hit the “GO” button on your PR strategy? Before you rev those engines, make sure you’ve dotted all your I’s and crossed all your T’s. Here’s a checklist that will ensure your PR is firing on all four cylinders. TACTICS KEEP IN MIND Brand journalism refers to companies creating their own “journalistic” content rather than waiting for the media to do it. With the decline in media outlets, companies are finding it equally powerful to tell their own stores. Media content Don’t make your content all about your company. Make it educational and informative. Don’t just submit content to media outlets. Get buy-in first on possible topics. With media short-staffed, opportunities abound for companies to provide editorial content. It’s a win-win for the media outlets, which get free content, and for companies, which get free publicity and often SEO juice. Brand Journalism TO DO
- 3. Media relations+ PR is a process, not a once-and- done tactic. The more PR you get, the more opportunities to promote what you’re doing and gain visibility and credibility. Successful PR is about a lot more than media relations. To be effective, it combines paid, earned, shared (social media) and owned media (brand journalism) in a virtuous circle with each amplifying the other. Earned media, for example, can be promoted on social media, in your newsletter and in paid media. KEEP IN MIND Native advertising, the use of paid ads that match the look, feel and function of the media outlet where they appear, works. Consumers look at native ads 53% more than display ads. Artificial intelligence can be a PR person’s best friend. Today companies sit on top of massive amounts of data and fail to make the most of it. AI can sift through mounds of data and help determine next steps. It can automate menial tasks, determine true influencers, and create more accurate buyer personas and more targeted content. Use native advertising for your best content, such as a great blog post, or a video you’ve created with an influencer. Native advertising Artificial intelligence AI is in its infancy when it comes to PR. Experiment now to get a head start. TO DOTACTICS
- 4. Influencer and word of mouth marketing As trust in brands and advertising keeps dropping, influencer marketing and word of mouth marketing have gained traction. The idea behind both is that people put trust in people they know and respect. Influencer marketing depends on establishing a relationship between an organization and an influencer. Word of mouth marketing, while similar, relies on ordinary people who are big sharers of information. Research your audience and select the best influencers based on your objectives. Tools like Buzzsumo and FollowerWonk are two good tools for researching influencers. Consider offering an incentive for people to share your content via word of mouth. KEEP IN MIND Develop your skills as a storyteller. Stories can turn a brand into a beloved entity, and win the loyalty and affection of consumers. In the B2B space, stories can transform a complex product into something meaningful. Think case studies or an executive’s origin story as two types of B2B stories. Good stories need plot, challenge, and resolution to resonate. Otherwise, they are simply strung-together words or marketing hype. Storytelling TO DOTACTICS
- 5. TACTICS TO DO PR measurement KEEP IN MIND PR measurement has been the holy grail of PR for years. Now, however, free tools such as Google Analytics or premium subscription tools such as Moz, AirPR or TrendKite have made PR measurement a reality. Website visitors, backlinks and referrals are a few of the metrics you will want to measure. Companies spend an estimated $11 billion on PR per year. With budgets tightening across the board, many C-suite executives are asking to see a return on that investment. Now is the time to start measuring your PR. Fake news Fake news has created a problem for brands wanting to get the word out. Consider that a recent study showed that 63% of people can’t tell the difference between fake and real news. Meanwhile, journalists are under pressure to be vigilant about providing accurate information. Fake news is a real problem. Go overboard in fact-checking content before releasing it. Monitor your brand to ensure false news isn’t being spread about it. Content today is not a one-trick pony. Create content across multiple, relevant channels, including social media, blogging, video and podcasts. Create content that differentiates your brand, informs and engages. Customize content for each channel. New Channels TO DO
- 6. ABOUT MARX COMMUNICATIONS was founded in 1993 and designed as a B2B PR firm that specializes in innovative, results-driven strategies that promote companies and entrepreneurs. Over the past 25 years, we have helped hundreds of small to medium sized businesses to increase their visibility, credibility, and revenues. As part of our wheelhouse, we offer media and influencer relations, social media marketing, content marketing, and thought leadership. Like what you’ve read here? As part of this checklist, we’d also like to offer you a FREE PR consultation to evaluate your own PR and marketing strategy. As part of your free consultation, you’ll go one-on-one with Marx Communications founder and president, Wendy Marx, and receive 3 actionable steps to improve your strategy.