PR is not just a campaign, it’s not a once off, and it definitely should not work in isolation in terms of communications.
Public Relations is a fantastic addition to your marketing mix; a key player in the digital and social mix. Why? It’s all about content.
What makes great PR is not the one-off story but the strategy behind it and the role this plays in creating brands and market positioning. We love PR as its all about content marketing, and pro-active and strategic PR has an important role in leading and supporting key brand messages to market.
It’s all interlinked
A thought leadership piece for example can be fed into an industry publication, then in turn it’s loaded as a post for LinkedIn and shared through that network. Place it in an eNewsletter and link it to your blog where it is also loaded as news makes the reach of content far greater. All of this is a cost effective use of your content.
Start with strategy + key messaging
What we do at Brand One is always start with the end in mind. We can then formulate the market position and the key messages we need to take to our targeted audiences. Basic? Sure but critical and often missed especially with our SME clients who by the way, can least afford the wastage or to get it wrong.
Good research underpins great PR campaigns
At Brand One we monitor what is said about our clients and the industries they work in, as well as how they perceive themselves so we can be responsive to trends and changing opinions. By understanding what is happening internally and externally we can tailor our strategies to more successfully reach our client’s overarching goals and objectives.
A good strategy understands the target audience
By knowing what is being said, we also have a clear idea what we should be saying in response and who we should be talking to. At Brand One we are strategic in our decision to deliver the right messages to the right audiences. We work closely with our clients to understand who their target audience is right now and who they are looking to attract in the future.
Good relationships go a long way
Forming a strong media network with a continually updated contact list is vital to executing any communications strategy. It goes without saying that strong relationships with journalists and a wide variety of media outlets (traditional and digital) go a long way.
Relationships today extend into social media. This is one most cost effective ways of engaging the targeted audience. Your content must be tailored as not all social mediums are suitable for every product or service; and it must be monitored with risk strategy around it.
Personalisation and authenticity aids cut-through
Every day consumers are met with innumerable competing messages from any number of mediums, cutting through the clutter with a stand out campaign backed by strong research and understanding is key. We recommend our clients maintain a database with their client history, preferences, and interactions to help tailor messaging and more effectively connect; resulting in greater client engagement.
It’s not about using a one way communications channel, nor is it about two ways … it’s about engagement.
Measurability leads to results
Working together with our clients to set objectives early, and linking these to targeted outcomes is essential as you can review and revise along the way. Also it measures ROI – everything should have a return on investment!