Can’t Get Your Press Releases Printed?
Do you have a news announcement? Perhaps you’re launching a new product where you’d love to get some press coverage?
PR is a tried and tested method of getting the word out and I have seen the merits. You’re congratulated by peers and customers alike, website visits go up, career opportunities are sought after, you’re the talk of the town. And why? Because there is something very credible about a company featured in Done Deal of the Sunday Business Post or RTE featuring an expansion announcement. It’s convincing. It reaches a large audience and it creates the impression of this company is doing well.
For small to medium size companies however it can be a challenge to get newspaper coverage. How many of you have written a press release in a hope that a newspaper or magazine will get the word out about your emerging news, only to be disappointed with the exposure? For smaller companies, your news is not as newsworthy as the bigger companies and with trade media it’s often a case of how much advertising space you buy. Does this mean you wait and watch others engage in the realms of PR? Of course not. Fortunately, in today’s communication age, online PR offers a choice of tactics you can engage in to get your word out.
1. Linked In, Twitter et al, how’s it looking?
Social media is a fantastic medium to engage with your target audience instantly. However a page with 20 followers will hinder your news story instead of encouraging it. The first step to making your social media outlets work is to build up a strong followership. This is an on-going task but the goal is to have a list of the people you want to target, which coincidentally is a significant advantage to the uncertainty of who you targeted with traditional PR. Here are some tips to increasing your followers:
• Follow/Link to your customers and their employees on Linkedin and Twitter
• Join relative industry groups and take part in discussions
• Add your social media call to actions such as ‘Follow’ to your website, marketing material, and email signature
• To really kick start your followers, create a campaign or competition that encourages people to follow you
• Generate valuable content in your area of expertise and watch the followers come to you
2. Create a Company Blog Image
If you’re confident in your area of speciality, creating a company blog that features technical information in your industry will undoubtedly generate some interest and positive PR. In the Healthcare industry if you’re looking at emerging areas such as Renal Denervation, R&D engineers are going to be very interested in your findings as it’s valuable to them. Indeed with topics as specialised as this you’re not going to meet everyones requirements but it will resonate with the people that can potentially convert to leads.
If you’re worried this may create bate for your competitors, send it in an email instead of posting it on your website. A company blog, when managed correctly, is a great tool to get your customers to come to you. It shows you know what you’re talking about, it generates keywords for SEO and it ensures you’re always at the forefront of the customers mind when they are ready to use your products or services.
3. Having Trouble Explaining a New Technology? Show it in a Video
Often the challenge with engineering companies is tangibilising what you do. With online video you can show your level of expertise and your technology to prove you can do the job. Traditional corporate videos can be boring but by using creative video production you can really engage your audience to clearly demonstrate your message in just a couple of minutes. This can be especially effective and economical for a product or technology you are launching, introducing a new CEO, showing your facility…. The list is endless.
4. Draw it in an Infographic
Info graphic graphics are a quick and visual way of communicating a message without the heavy reading. However what’s even better when it comes to infographics is the ease of sharing via social media. Using them on their own or to complement a blog, infographics are a clever tool to show data that has numbers in it. So if you’ve a technology that meets challenging tolerances or increases Cpks, an infographic may be a more interesting method of communicating your message.
5. A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words
Next time you’re at a tradeshow, tweet a picture of your stand and team with a clear caption – they’ll instantly get the message without the explanation. Sharing an image is a more personal approach to your audience. It’s easy and photos with people are engaging, especially if there’s a little humour added.
Engaging in Online PR boasts plenty of advantages. It’s a lighter and friendlier way of talking to your audience regularly, in a tone you want. It’s instantly measurable and you can see what’s successful and what areas need improvement. It also complements traditional PR so for newsworthy stories where you can get media coverage, use your online tactics to amplify your message.