Public relations (PR) is about raising brand awareness, maintaining brand reputation and building relationships. The role of PR is to generate positive media attention for your brand and your products or services. Having a third party, such as a newspaper or website, reaffirm your messages can boost your overall credibility.
And in terms of digital PR, articles on high-ranking websites can boost your own SEO performance while the more times your brand is mentioned across a variety of different websites, the easier it is for people to find.
Sometimes considered a bit of a ‘dark art’, there’s often a lot of confusion around what makes a PR story, how to measure the value of PR and what sort of budget allows for a great PR campaign. So today, we’re lifting the lid on some PR secrets, to help you understand the ‘dark art’ of public relations a little better…
How to measure PR
Measuring PR is about much more than column inches, it’s specific to every client and their business objectives. We use a number of metrics including coverage in a client’s ‘gold’ publication, whether our key messages were included in the piece or if a quote from a spokesperson was mentioned.
What makes a PR story?
If you have some company news or a new product then chances are it’s PR-worthy; it is often possible to find a suitable hook or opportunity to tie in with to secure coverage. Where the story is pitched is also key to success - articles that are suitable for a niche audience work well for trade publications whereas case studies are popular in national consumer titles, for example.
Patience is key
Landing quality coverage takes time. That’s where we come in! Our PR team build relationships with journalists before they are successful with a pitch, which can take weeks or even months. Or they will have identified a forward feature that complements your campaign and need to submit copy in advance, weeks before a magazine is published.
PR on a budget
PR isn’t all elaborate events, glitzy product launches and big budgets. These can play a part but day-to-day it’s usually about different – much less expensive – activities than this. It can be securing an interview slot or a feature in a regional publication, coverage in a women’s magazine gift guide or a product review in a trade title – all outputs which, collectively over time, help to build trust in a brand.
