Re­-Market Your PR Coverage to Maximize ROI

From my recent blog post at Axia's PR Blog:

So you Hired a PR Agency and Received Great Media
Coverage. Now What?

How to Re­-Market the Results of a Public Relations Campaign and Maximize ROI

Gaining positive coverage is great news and certainly a morale boost in that someone thinks you
are doing a good job, but why leave it there? Just because you had a story published, does not
mean everyone has had a chance to see it. The very nature of word ­of ­mouth is that it is viral,
but to get the ball rolling, it is in your organization's interest to actively ensure that your message
resonates with as many as possible.

Fact: Perception is reality. A steady stream of information helps create a perception that business must
be good, why else would you be getting such a large amount of media attention?
To that end, there are many things a company can do to maximize the results of a PR
campaign, and plant seeds of thought and discussion within target audiences. The
effective use of such tactics can considerably influence markets in acknowledging you
as a worthy business investment and ensuring you are receiving the most bang for your
buck. Here’s how:

Had a positive product or company review in the news or online? That's great, make
sure your customers know about it! Nothing beats hearing or reading a positive mention by an objective third party in terms of legitimacy. Why not share what others have to say about you with current and prospective clients and potential customers?

Online Website

• While thousands and even millions of people may have seen your local and national interview, that does not mean everyone saw it. Post and promote those links on your website and social media channels. 
• Including videos and photos where possible. 
• Start a News section on your website. Keep it updated with the latest news on you and your company. Post images of actual print media clips (site source) on your website's News page. Quote highlights of such throughout the entire site. Place a list of all the high profile media outlets where you and your company have appeared: “As seen on...”

Social networks

• Post media links and tell your followers about the latest news on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc. 
• Social media networks are useful on posting about the latest news, not only do your followers see the news, they may find it interesting and share and re-tweet the news to their own followers. This is one of the fastest ways that YouTube videos go viral.

Email & newsletters

• Email and company e­newsletters/ezines are great tools for communicating your brand'ssuccess via distribution lists. 
• Be certain to mention recent media success and post links. 
• End an email message with "please refer to my advice in (article/interview) for more information." 

Great news coverage is a good reason to send a special alert ­ before, during and after a media
appearance.

• “Be sure to look in this month’s issue of _____ magazine on newsstands Friday for...” and “Tune into NBC tonight on channel ____ to see...” or “In case you weren’t among the 700,000 people watching last night’s _______, I’ve provided a link...”

Blogs

• Blog are an ideal platforms for amassing online visibility, credibility and building long term relationships. Utilize these by posting coverage to related industry blogs and engage users by responding to comments and answering questions in an informative and always professional manner.
• To take it one step further, create your own blog site for yourself, if you have not already done so, making sure to keep an updated supply of content. 
• Content may include interviews, videos, sound bites, etc. 
• Blogs are designed to be two way conversations so have some employees readily available to respond to comments.

In the office

• Treat media clippings like awards; frame them, place them on your office and reception area wall, and show them off to others! 
• Let clients and prospects come to the conclusion that they are doing business with the very best your industry has to offer. 
• Ask your PR firm, like Axia, about velox and other slicker reprint solutions that make a big impact. One of our clients will send frame articles to all of their branches and retail locations to motivate employees and show off to customers nationally.

At trade shows

• Be sure to mention coverage and stock reprints as handouts. Potential clients that leave with evidence of your success are more likely to hold on to a lasting impression.

In a sales meeting or sales calls

• Be sure to mention your recent news coverage to potential customers and current customers.
• Talk them through your website, a Google search or media outlet website to search and see your coverage. Potential customers will feel more at ease that your company must be among the best in the business. Your current customers will look and feel smart for selecting the best company. Encourage them to share that news coverage with their co­workers.

Add it to your email signatures

• Share it with every email you send: “See our new ____ product in Women’s World by clicking here."
• Recycle content into other media formats

Have an article/blog post you're especially proud of?

• Turn it into an informational MP3 sound bite and/or a video. Share the links on your website and social networks. 
• Re-purpose the content yet again by creating graphic images/slideshows and sharing those.

Business presentations or proposals

• Get the most out of presentations and sales pitches by bringing attention to successful coverage, thereby reinforcing the credibility and popularity your product/service. Through an effective demonstration of legitimacy, companies stand a far greater chance of 'sealing the deal by strengthening their image with second guessing potential clients.Advertise coverage on promotional print
• Affirm statements in brochures, advertisements and flyers by affixing media quotes, instantly enhancing the intended promotional message. This can be done with virtually any print format your company utilizes: catalogs, business cards, banners, stationary and mailing materials etc.

Want to come up with new taglines?

• Media coverage is also great source of fresh ideas for reinventing marketing tools.

Include quotes in your biography

• Insert media quotes into your company's bio. Curious readers can then see first hand thepublicity you have gained as a result of your expertise.

Mail hard copies of coverage to past, present and prospective clients

• Our favorite: Remind past and present clients why they chose you over the competition, and demonstrate to prospective clients why they should. Perhaps attach a cover sheet with clippings to reinforce this message.

What do I do with those published news releases? Re-market them of course!

• Many assume that once a release has been sent to the media, it ceases to serve a purpose. Not so!
• Releases can provide a vast array of uses; all with the same benefits of enhancing visibility and solidifying credibility.\Provide new and informative content to your website and social networks
• Re-purposing news releases for this function instantly creates a wealth of content that can keep followers and target audiences updated on the latest events. This can also provide a solution to the issue of appearing outdated due to a lack of industry news.

Convert news releases into articles

• The best releases are intended to provide journalists with all the details necessary to create an article with as little editing as possible. This means that with a little re­formatting, you too can 'create' articles that place your business in the right in the middle of spotlight. Publishing these online and inserting links to your homepage can do wonders for SEO rankings.

Post releases online

• Remember that simply posting news releases as they are can provide a substantial amount of SEO and significant traffic to your homepage (make sure to insert the necessary links). 
• Use popular keywords throughout the release and within links to drive ­up and maximize SEO results.
• This includes posting the news releases to the News section of your website as well as free andpaid public relations newswires and news release newswires.

What’s the difference between public relations newswires and real newswires?

• PR newswires are filled with news releases from PR people and companies that pay a fee to post their company news. There are several companies that provide these services (PRNewswire, Business Wire, PR Web and others). Each has their own unique features and benefits. Axia receives volume pricing from these paid newswire services and our public relations agency extends discounted rates to our clients. For example, a $2,000 newswire package may cost $400­,800 for an Axia client, depending on current volume and promotional offerings. The Associated Press contains stories published exclusively by AP correspondents and newspapers that subscribe to the AP service. Companies are unable to pay to have their news placed here. Editors select the content they post to the AP wire based on the overall news value. Other major news wires such as Reuters and Dow Jones also exist. Axia has relationships with these unpaid newswires and actively pitches our client’s best stories to our contacts within these newswires.Award entries and recognition.

Use coverage as proof to judges of your ability to deliver a trusted and professional
product/service.

• This could mean easily the difference between being a runner ­up and first place.

Utilize them as subject matter for blog posts

• A press release is designed to provide content worth talking about, right? That being the case, why not select the more 'juicy' parts and revamp them into blog posts. This provides readers with engaging content that has them thinking and talking about what matters most: you.

Insert them into emails and newsletters

• Keep a steady stream of information that goes straight to target audience inboxes. With or without an article, this ensures that your business remains relevant; providing an educational source which reminds them of you and your accomplishments. Again, continuing a steady stream of information helps create a perception that business must be good, why else would you be getting such a large amount of media attention?

Mail or fax your news releases

• It might sound old fashion, but it’ll stand out. Send it to customers, prospects and newsrooms.

Heck, for fun, sending it to your competitors. Or not!
Share your tips. Please share how you promote news and media coverage in your
company ­ both internally and externally.

We’ll collect ideas and post them on our PR blog!

The Power of PR (Positive Relationships)

The Power of PR (Positive Relationships)

In Oprah’s final episode, she was asked if there was a common thread throughout her 25 years on air. As she reflected on decades of interactions and interviews, she distilled it down to one thing all of her guests shared:

“I’ve talked to nearly 30,000 people on this show, and all 30,000 had one thing in common: They all wanted validation. If I could reach through this television and sit on your sofa or sit on a stool in your kitchen right now, I would tell you that every single person you will ever meet shares that common desire. They want to know: ‘Do you see me? Do you hear me? Does what I say mean anything to you? Understanding that one principle, that everybody wants to be heard, has allowed me to hold the microphone for you all these years.”

All of us want to feel like we are heard, understood, valued and belong. In his book “Whale Done!,” Ken Blanchard (and a team of SeaWorld trainers) writes about the power of positive reinforcement and how it increases productivity, builds trust and creates commitment and motivation. The book is about working with some of the most intelligent mammals in the sea, but the principles also apply when working with the most intelligent mammals on the earth – humans. People respond  better when you treat them well and take a sincere and genuine interest in them.

This excerpt is from my recent blog post for my company's blog, Axia Public Relations. Want to read more? Click here. 

PR is a MUST for start ups

I've always had an affinity for helping small businesses succeed/grow and enjoy consulting with them. I also love innovations and launching new products. This sparked a recent blog contribution to my company's blog site on the importance of PR for start ups...

Public Relations for Start ups

In the wake of an economy striving for recovery, more and more entrepreneurs are sprouting from the ruins of their predecessors. Each day births a new idea and with it a new business model. With a three-of-four start up failure rate basic knowledge and an understanding of public relations (PR) can fundamentally affect the success or failure of your start up.

As a new business owner, it is imperative to your success to know and understand that the greatest company with the best idea will not amount to a hill of beans if no one knows about it.

So what is PR?

The role PR plays in your business is to shape the public view of your company. This can be done through client/customer interaction, social media outlets and earned media – news stories, interviews and features about your company, its products or services. In a nutshell, PR refers to the information conduit and connections made between your business and your public – your target audience.

Determine Your Target Audience

One of the common PR landmines for start ups is not predetermining a target audience. As much as you would love everyone to utilize your services, having a specific target audience in the beginning will prove much easier to market toward. Once a level of success is achieved with this audience, then you can expand. However, never forget your original target market – brand loyalty will take you further than you may think.

Social Media & News Media

In the start up stages of business, social media is the go-to choice for getting yourself out there. Don’t underestimate the power of Facebook, Twitter and even Foursquare as marketing tools to help you stand out. Using social networks to promote customer incentives and loyalty programs will keep your business in the front of your customers’ minds – and literally in the palms of their hands via network apps.

In theory, getting news media coverage is great for any business, but the reality is that a premature news release could do more damage than good. Look for the truly newsworthy aspects of your business before you alert the media. If you aren't sure what is and is not newsworthy, you need to consult with a news professional or a PR consultant before you send that release.

Even if you don’t actively seek out earned media coverage, or news coverage, it is important, early on in the development stages of your market strategy, to have in place a nook for media relations. If your new venture is kicking up some dust in the business world, it’s likely you could be contacted by the news media, which will inquire after what your company is all about. This is an example of “earned media.” Having a simple Q&A session with your employees about who you are as a company can help solidify company standpoints and prepare you for any impromptu interviews.

How do you think start up companies benefit from public relations?

10 Lessons from Nelson Mandela's own words for the world of PR and the world at large

From my recent blog post contribution to my company blog...

10 Lessons from Nelson Mandela's own words for the world of PR and the world at large:

A great hero of our time, Nelson Mandela, has passed, but his indelible mark on society will live on through his legacy. Nelson Mandela saw the good in mankind and his outlook was unfailingly positive. We can all learn some valuable lessons from reflecting on his life.

Below are a few that public relations professionals can apply to their work, their client relationships, the media, colleagues and in their everyday lives.

Ten lessons from Nelson Mandela’s own words that apply to PR pros (and, well, the world):

1. Educate. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” As PR practitioners, we’re informers to the public; it’s our job to create awareness through news and our duty to provide content that is newsworthy.

2. Think wisely. “A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.” As PR professionals, we have an obligation to practice our craft ethically. Let us never forget that duty we must uphold: PRSA Code of Ethics.

3. Live up to your potential. “There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” We owe it to our clients, our colleagues and our companies to exhaust every angle and give 100 percent of our effort. Leave nothing on the table.

4. The best time is now. “We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.” Timeliness is a major element of news – we must never pass up an opportunity that requires a sense of urgency, nor miss a deadline.

5. Make friends, not enemies. “If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.” There is only benefit to developing strong, meaningful relationships with your PR clients and the media … and adverse consequences for making enemies: It only leads to destruction. Never burn bridges. Ever. Make peace, not war.

6. Get buy-in from others. “It is wise to persuade people to do things and make them think it was their own idea.” Add value to your relationships by listening and seeing what the other person needs. There is no greater feeling than being able to help a reporter meet a need with a client’s content, but it must make sense for the reporter, for the story and for the outlet.

7. Achieve the unimaginable. “It always seems impossible until it is done.” Never say never. Aim high and shoot for the stars. How else will you reach them?

8. Let it go. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Forget the past; if at first you don’t succeed, try again. You can’t beat yourself up because of rejection – a “no” actually just means “not right now.” Don’t take rejection personally, especially when it’s just business.

9. Be fearless. “The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” Don’t be afraid to try again.

10. Persevere. “After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.” Life is full of valleys, but they make you appreciate the peaks that much more. There will be struggles, frustrations and troubles along your road – but overcoming those obstacles is what makes it all worth living. Never give up.

About Michelle Heatherly

As director of client engagement for Axia Public Relations, Michelle’s professional mission is to successfully integrate clients into the firm and to ensure they are personally delighted and their expectations are exceeded – every step of the way. Her personal mission is to live a life that matters and to inspire others to do the same. If you want to hear more, connect with Michelle on LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleheatherly), follow her on Twitter (@PRgirlmichelle), call her at (888) PR-FIRM-8 (773-4768) or read her bio athttp://axia.net/about/team/michelle-heatherly-director-of-client-engagement/.