The Public Relations landscape has evolved rapidly with the emergence of digital marketing.
Five or 10 years ago, a placement in a magazine or newspaper marked the peak of a PR person’s efforts. They worked tirelessly to negotiate and secure the opportunity, and once the placement went public, that was their cue to take a victory lap around the office.
That’s not at all the case today. The same concept still exists, but now, the hit is just the beginning. Should you still relish and celebrate a placement? Absolutely. But once you’ve basked in the glory for a few minutes (okay, maybe even a day), there is plenty of leveraging to do.
NOW, THE CHECKLIST
When you land a feature story, news mention, partnership or any other type of exposure, the first thing you’ll want to do is promote it through just about every channel you can think of in order to maximize the value and exposure of the hit.
Here is a checklist for making sure you are properly extending the life of your PR hits.
Email Marketing
According to the Direct Marketing Association, email marketing yields an average 4,300 percent return on investment. Furthermore, Hubspot found that companies using email marketing generate 50 percent more sales-ready leads at a 33 percent lower cost. So turn your placement into an e-blast alerting your subscribers of the exciting news. If you already have a regular newsletter in place, make the placement the lead story in your next edition.
Website
Your website is a living organism that should be updated frequently with company news. If you have a press section, you’ll want to create and upload a press release about your placement. Otherwise, you can use your blog as a host venue for the same type of announcement.
Pro tip: Perhaps the biggest perk of being featured by a major outlet such as the Huffington Post or Forbes is the social currency that follows. Adding an “as seen in” banner or thumbnail to your site is a must.
Social Media
Information spreads quickly on social media. Share your news on your preferred social networks and engage with any fans, followers or connections who show interest.
Also, don’t consider this a “one and done” task. You should create a few variations for each channel and utilize them over an extended period of time. For example, after the initial buzz has worn off, you can squeeze a little more momentum out of the news simply by sharing a post with “ICYMI,” meaning, “in case you missed it.”
Advertising Materials
PR and advertising go hand-in-hand. That “as seen in” phrase that we mentioned is extremely powerful in both digital and print advertising. Use it in everything from direct mail to pay per click and banner ads.
Marketing Collateral
It might not be realistic to reprint your marketing materials every time you gain exposure. However, you should certainly be diligent about updating your digital versions, and plan for a print run of updated brochures, sales sheets and flyers in the near future.
Presentations and Proposals
PR placements help to build your credibility and influence in the marketplace, so it’s important that you use them to grow your business. Consider your newest placement the newest addition to your business development toolkit and blend it into any presentation or proposals templates you may have in place.
General Conversation
Whether you’re making an on-the-spot elevator pitch or having lunch with a longtime client, there’s nothing wrong with saying, “Hey, by the way, we were just featured in TIME Magazine,” or asking, “Did you see us in Business Insider the other day?” Doing so will leave an instant and memorable impression on whomever you’re speaking with.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Maximizing your PR placements requires a great deal of skill and experience. Everything needs to be orchestrated with the right timing and messaging. That’s what we’re here for. Raindrop Marketing can help you with all of the above and more–Click here to see what our many happy clients have to say about us.
We are a full-service marketing agency with our roots in digital, so our PR team can garner the ideal coverage for your business and then we can help you maximize the hit wherever possible!