The 9 Dos of using PR as part of your marketing strategy

Press releases and public relations can be a vital part of an integrated marketing strategy, but where do you start? Are you missing a great opportunity to generate awareness of your company?

PR, or public relations, can be an extremely useful way of raising awareness of your company or brand, while positioning you in the hearts and minds of your customers and peers.

Creating press releases about company news or announcements can also prove cost-effective and a great way of obtaining press coverage in newspapers, magazines, trade publications or online, without having to pay for the space or commit to advertising.

However, the success of a PR campaign can depend on the level of interest in your chosen topic, and the relative strength and number of competing press releases! Ultimately, it’s the editor of your target publication who decides what is covered and your press release might be snapped up everywhere, or nowhere.

There are ways you can maximise the chances of success however, so keep our list of dos in mind when creating your next press release, and drop us a line if you need a push in the right direction.

1. DO write press releases about notable company news, such as:

– Favourable company results
– New staff appointments
– Internal staff promotions
– Office move or other expansion
– Significant contract or sale
– Launch of a new product or service
– Sponsorship of a club or event
– Participation in a TV show or radio programme
– Taking part in a charity event, or making a donation to charity
– Hosting an event, conference or round table discussion
– Winning an award

2. DO contact publications to gauge interest and build relationships with the journalists – provide them with regular, high-quality press releases and they’ll begin to trust you as a regular source of news

3. DO provide high resolution photographs – but attach low-res versions to your email, the journalist will get back to you for high resolution images if they need them

4. DO provide quotes from relevant people within your company, as well as other people involved

5. DO include background information about your company in the editors’ notes

6. DO post your press releases on your website – make it as easy as possible for people to find your information, and it’s not bad for SEO either

7. DO be persistent – the more press releases you distribute, the more people will remember your company name, but don’t bombard publications with irrelevant news, you need to prove yourself a credible source of information

8. DO consider whether your target market will be interested in what you have to say, your press release should be the basis of an engaging story in the press, not simply an avenue to promote your latest product or special offer

9. DO remember to spell check! Your press release could be published verbatim, make sure you’re happy with it, and all relevant people (including those providing quotes) have approved the copy for release

You can add to our list of dos in the comments, what’s your best tip for a successful press release?