As the year comes to a close, it’s helpful for marketing teams to evaluate what has worked well and what could use improvement in the new year.
While some companies implement PR as a single stream strategy, a perennial lesson learned is the need for an integrated and cohesive PR program. Ultimately, multi-pronged momentum is a key for long-term media relations and thought leadership success.
Whether you’re kicking off a new PR initiative in 2017 or looking to liven up an already-established program, here are a few tips for getting on track with an integrated PR approach:
1) Track Priority Media Consistently – Just as your industry changes, so does the focus of journalists’ media coverage. Rather than only reaching out to media when you have a press announcement, update your priority media list quarterly and keep tabs on how their coverage evolves. By monitoring articles and beat shifts on an ongoing basis, you’ll likely identify more timely and relevant opportunities for your organization’s spokespeople to comment on.
2) Get In Sync with Marketing Programs – Are there specific marketing campaigns or webinars planned for the new year? Will upcoming product announcements focus on mitigating critical customer pain points? Gather your organization’s main marketing messages – at least for Q1 2017 – and align them with PR initiatives – such as offering on-point advice via contributed articles, quoting opportunities, blog posts and speaking engagements.
3) Elevate Case Studies – Do your customer success stories reflect your organization’s value proposition and speak to your core buyer? If you’re selling to a business user but your case study is focused on a technical audience, you may be missing the mark. Think about the story you want to tell and choose customers with recent examples that align. Then take the time to interview them (if they’re willing to participate, of course) and ask the same questions that you’re typical buyers are interested in. Relatable case studies can serve as a goldmine for generating media opportunities and marketing campaigns alike.
However your PR program is shaping up for 2017, take the time to evaluate how your plans tie into your overall corporate strategy and where improvements can be made to strengthen key media relationships and offer solid thought leadership advice to the marketplace.