Since the inception of public relations, the press release has been the standard tactic to gain the attention of media. Although the press release is in no way deceased, providing other media materials in addition to the press release paints a bigger picture for reporters.
Here are eight other media materials you can develop to expand your media relations efforts:
Expert source relationship
Reporters who enterprise their own stories look for credible sources to speak on their field of expertise. Creating this relationship will not only gain exposure for you and your business, but has the potential to lead to other speaking engagements. To learn more about creating an expert source relationship, check out the Skogrand PR Solutions blog post on the subject.
Fact sheet/backgrounder
Since press releases are usually short and succinct, fact sheets and backgrounders are a great way to provide reporters with more information. Fact sheets list the high-level details of your company and a backgrounder tells the story of your company. These two documents are often part of a media kit or online pressroom.
Fact sheets include:
- Company name
- Address and phone number
- Focus of business
- Products or services
- Executive team members
Backgrounders include:
- Brief history of the company including how and why company was started
- Products or services
- Management team and roles
- Contact information
Executive biographies
Along with fact sheets and backgrounders, executive biographies are a great tool to keep in your media kit. They build the credibility of your team and can aid in positioning your brand. Reporters often look to executive biographies when writing stories on the company as a whole or individual leaders. Include the unique talents and background of each executive in his or her biography.
Q&A with CEO
A Q&A with the CEO can provide an opportunity to humanize the company story. Certain outlets have Q&A sections that feature CEOs/executives when new businesses are created, awards are won, or new products hit the market. In addition to sending out a news release to outlets, pitching execs for Q&A articles is a great way to generate awareness and add a personal touch.
Short videos
Videos can tell stories in an engaging and creative way. They can also get a business’ point across in less time than traditional methods. In our 2016 public relations trends blog post, we learned that video helps brands capture attention of viewers, thus increasing their attention span. Short videos can be used in addition to press releases, media alerts and social media posts.
Check out a few infographics from Wistia to see the science behind video marketing and engagement.
Social media influence
You don’t need to have a million social media followers to be an influencer.
- Curate content that both highlights your business and the industry in general.
- Network with other companies in your industry and develop relationships on the social stratosphere.
- Make people want to share your content — find creative ways to deliver the simplest messages.
Although social media has no rule, just like in every other aspect of your business, your social media needs to follow your brand standards. Keeping all social media accounts consistent in terms of message and content will help build your social brand.
Blogging
Blogging has many benefits. It generates traffic to your site, boosts your place in search and helps create an expert perspective, since it is considered a form of thought leadership. Blogs can be used as supplementary writing material, giving reporters more background information on your company or product.
Here are some ideas to get your blog rolling:
- Write about company news
- Provide insight on trends in your industry
- Address current topics in your industry
- Feature different staff members
Bylined article
As mentioned above, companies sometimes use their blogs to write on current topics in the industry. Many outlets accept similar articles, called bylined articles. These articles add an expert perspective to their publications. Bylined articles help establish credibility with a large audience and draw awareness to your business. If your article focuses on an issue on your industry, offering a solution using your expertise can help attract new clients.
Here are three steps to writing your first bylined article
- Find an outlet that focuses on your target audience
- Pitch your byline idea
- Write your article!
Next time you are creating your public relations strategy, explore your options beyond the traditional press release. Oftentimes, adding one or two additional resources can make the difference in landing a media placement.