The do’s and don’ts of PR campaigns

Your business may be the best in the industry, but it’s not getting the attention it deserves. You know there is great potential for your company in the market, so what do you do now? It’s time to focus on PR campaigns.

As industries becomes more competitive, a successful PR campaign is an important tool for enhancing your presence in the media.

Our Communications Director, Clare Christensen, knows the importance of a strong media presence and continued exposure.

“PR is all about seeking media opportunities across multiple platforms and knowing how to amplify wins to create even more exposure,” she said.

To help you navigate a successful PR campaign, we have complied some key do’s and don’ts.

DO’S (good practices):

Develop a strong brand

Positioning your business involves telling your audience who you are and positively portraying your brand. A successful PR campaign allows you to be the authority and develop your brand’s message, values and services. Ensure these are simple, clear and easy to understand.

Research your target audience

It’s important to determine whether an idea will be meaningful to a target audience and affect behaviour. Ideally, research should include persona mapping to develop a profile of the people to be reached. Persona mapping will help your team understand a targets’ emotional drivers, needs, concerns and requirements. Once the target audience is better understood, proposed ideas can be more easily accepted or rejected.

Create a targeted media release

A media release remains one of the most effective strategies for spreading the word about your project. It is dual in function as it allows you to release important information while simultaneously building your brand image. Your media release should have a strong news angle that will grab journalists’ attention, not promote or advertise your business.

DON’TS (mistakes to avoid):

Lack of media channel diversification

A successful PR campaign requires you to take advantage of a wide range of media channels. Do not limit your reach by focusing on a few social media avenues, as potential investors may be on other channels you have ignored. Ensure media releases and other similar articles are published on various channels and social media outlets.

Neglect social media

The growth of social media is undeniable, and many trusted professionals share industry articles through social platforms such as LinkedIn. Social listening is also an important reason to incorporate social media into your PR campaign. By monitoring conversations regarding your brand, you can respond to posts and discussions involving your brand.  This also shows your audience you are in tune with their opinions and allows you to diffuse any negative brand conversations.

Inconsistency

An important part of an effective PR campaign is consistency. Adapt, edit, brainstorm new ideas, and try again. You must consistently make your pitch to journalists, and keep spreading the word about your company. Consistency not only increases trust within your audience, it also demonstrates reliability.