2021 is finally here. With most anticipating a better year in both health and business, marketers will continue to face new challenges brought on by the pandemic.
To be sure, a series of trends triggered by the coronavirus will continue well into the middle of the year, if not beyond. Public relations professionals will need to remain flexible and adapt accordingly to help their employer or clients achieve their goals.
Here are five strategies to contemplate as you create your PR game plan for the new year.
1. Build strong relationships with key writers and editors. The most seasoned public relations professionals understand the value of maintaining strong relationships with key reporters covering their industry or that of their clients. Those relationships will be of even greater value as print publications, radio and television stations continue to downsize due to declines in advertising spend. Reporters and editors remain under pressure to do more with less and still deliver a quality product in a timely manner. Establishing a strong relationship with a journalist can make you a strong resource, capable of offering valuable ideas and news that the writer can use to shape or improve their stories. This high level of trust is now more important than ever and can result in multiple items and opportunities that benefit both your client and yourself in the long run.
2. Focus on the clicks and hits. The media are busy building digital audiences to grab their share of the shrinking pie in ad revenue. Reporters are also tasked with developing news stories that can be optimized online and read by thousands. The goal is not only to put those stories on the post’s site, but also to circulate them on social media to increase overall readership. Public relations professionals must create and present stories in ways that reflect that goal. Turning an ordinary press release into something meatier and more enthusiastic will help not only get your story out, but also optimize it on social media for greater reach and market penetration.
3. Write for immediate impact. PR professionals should present their stories where the most interesting aspects are at the top of the page, not buried in the fifth or sixth paragraph. As mentioned above, reporters are in a time trouble and have little leeway in trying to decipher a confusing press release, especially when there are hundreds of others to review. Public relations professionals should present a strong first paragraph and then provide any supporting material afterwards. That material should be easy to read and can even be bulleted to make it easier to digest.
4. Know how to reach your customer’s audience, today. Key research on your client’s prospective buyers is critical to generating top-of-the-line results from your public relations efforts. Targeting those buyers right can make or break your campaign. This is true for any year, but especially in the pandemic-driven work-at-home environment. Are business-to-business buyers still reading industry publications, listening to podcasts, and attending webinars? Can they be contacted on social media or is their time focused on other areas? Determining the best ways to reach them will help you greatly improve your results.
5. Think visually. Since much of the media is now based on photos and videos, PR professionals need to think of visuals to match any plot. A short video or a series of interesting photos (if possible) should accompany any press release, whether printed or broadcast. Images are great for social and digital media and help your story line to stand out above the rest. Small photos can even be inserted into the press release to pique reporters’ interest and improve coverage opportunities.
