Public relations is a fickle game for any business in today’s day and age. While the press holds plenty of power and leverage in promoting your brand, they also have plenty of power in swaying public perception. This is why you need to develop a smart PR hacks strategy and form meaningful, trustworthy relationships with members of the press.
Initially, it may seem impossible to get the regular press mentions you’re looking for. But with these simple PR hacks, you could enjoy the right media coverage that your business deserves.Â
1. Learn From Your CompetitorsÂ
If there’s one way to stay ahead of your competitors, no matter your business niche, it’s to take a page out of their book. I.e. learn from them. You can save yourself time and resources by taking a look at what your competitors are doing to gain media exposure.
But remember, you don’t want to become a copycat. Simply use what your competitors are doing as inspiration. Here are some things to look at:Â
- Assess what your competitors are talking about on their press release pagesÂ
- Look at the media outlets they’re targeting, i.e. which newspapers, journals, blogs, or podcasts do they feature in?Â
At the end of the day, this gives you a great overview of what is working in your industry when it comes to media exposure. This type of research allows you to construct media pitches that journalists are legitimately interested in within your niche.Â
Check out Justreachout.io if you’re looking for expert advice on writing/formulating media pitches.Â
2. Leverage the Power of HAROÂ
If you’re not having any luck chasing journalists or other media personnel for press mentions, you want to sign up for HARO, and they’ll come to you instead.Â
But, what is HARO? It stands for Help a Reporter Out and is, essentially, a reliable online resource the journalists use to connect with viable news sources. Every day, twice a day, HARO sends out an email with the contact details of journalists looking for sources and quotes for articles.Â
When you sign up for HARO, you can use the filter ”JustReachOut” to sort through the emails and look for keywords that relate to your business/niche.
Once you’ve filtered out irrelevant emails and you fit the bill of journalist requirements, you can bag yourself a press mention for any information or quotes you have to offer.Â
3. Make the Most of Newsjacking
It’s a no-brainer that current news events are what journalists thrive on. So, you want to make the most of what’s most current in the news by newsjacking your stories to align with these topics.Â
This is a great way to boost your chances of a mention in the press. Sure, you won’t be able to serve a story that ties into current or breaking news each time. But you can find relevant news stories that tie in with your own business niche.Â
In other words, you’re connecting your business to a viral news event and piggybacking on the press coverage. But, this might not work for every business or current event. First, you’ll need to ask yourself these questions before making such a pitch:Â
- How can your business help/solve a current issue that’s in the news?Â
- Do you have expertise in current news events and fields that are discussed?
- What do you have to offer that’s actually relevant — i.e. data, quotes, information?Â
Ultimately, you need to have the goal of connecting your business with a viral story in a meaningful way that will spark the interest of the media.Â
4. Guest Posting Is Alive and Thriving
For anyone who believes that guest posting is dead, they’re horribly mistaken. Especially when it comes to PR strategy and media exposure. However, if you’re only using guest posting for link building, you might need to consider a few other tactics. It’s no longer the only way to build a meaningful link network across your social sites.Â
Not to mention the fact that guest posting has a ”spammy” vibe and it’s a little outdated for link building alone. But when it comes to PR, you still have some leverage.Â
Guest posting is still great for building up your business reputation and a decent following. In some cases, you could even score a few backlinks to your social sites. You can think of guest posting as renting space on another business’s website. You’re basically piggybacking on their domain authority.Â
All in all, here’s why you should consider guest posting for PR reasons:Â
- Having your name and a link published on a top website/publication is a great way to build authority within your nicheÂ
- You can use their site’s domain authority to improve your own rank on Google with targeted keywordsÂ
- Guest posting is easy and freeÂ
So, if you’ve discounted the power of guest posting as part of your PR strategy, you might want to re-think this!Â
5. Podcast Interviews Still Have PowerÂ
Believe it or not, podcasts still have tremendous power, even if the market is oversaturated. And yes, people still listen to podcasts so why not leverage this kind of power for your business exposure?Â
Securing a spot on a podcast as a guest is actually one of the best things you can do for your PR strategy. This is because it’s an effective way to reach a wide and varied audience. Not to mention the fact that podcasts are so easy to access these days. Almost easier than tuning into a radio station.Â
In addition to this, podcast exposure is a great way to establish your voice within your business niche. A guest speaker appearance tells the audience know you are an expert in your field and have some form of authority.Â
If you manage to feature your brand or business often enough on a number of podcasts, you will become synonymous with the audience and within your field. And the next time someone in the media needs a source or reference, you could become their go-to! Â
On the Hunt for More PR Hacks?Â
These are just a few of the proven PR hacks that can help to establish your business name through the power of the media. If you’re looking to broaden your knowledge even further, you don’t want to miss out on the rest of this site.Â
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