CUTTING THROUGH THE NOISE: GETTING YOUR BUSINESS SEEN IN THE MEDIA

To a lot of people Public Relations is a bit of a grey area, with many lacking a clear understanding of what it is, and how beneficial it can be to a business. I certainly fit this category when I first started out, with only a vague idea of it being related to the promotion of a business and brand image. It wasn’t until I started working in communications, seeing the results received by our POPCOM clientele, that I came to really understand how powerful it is as a marketing tool.

So, let’s start there: What is PR?

Put very basically, PR is driving a certain message and perception about a brand, and maintaining it. To do this effectively a myriad of strategies are utilised, such as advertising, social media presence and marketing. One of the main ways however is through earned media.

Earned media is exactly what it sounds like - media that is earned. Put bluntly, you don’t pay anything for it, and could be as simple as a mention in a newspaper or blog post.

Not only is it cost-effective, but people are more likely to pay attention to this as opposed to advertorials. In fact, 92 percent of people trust earned media. Think about it: anyone can pay for an advertisement, but only someone credible who the journalist both trusts and finds interesting is going to receive earned media coverage. This will differentiate you from competitors, and is why PR can be a powerful tool in your external communications strategy.

How can you get earned media exposure?

There are various things to consider when looking to attain earned media coverage, but for now we’re going to highlight three major points.

1. Know your audience

Who are the people you want to be seen by? What publications are they reading? Of course it’s great to be featured in big outlets, especially for improving credibility. However, if they aren’t being read by your audience, then your brand isn’t going to be visible to the people you’re trying to reach. Get into the outlets they’re reading. Do your research, and work out what they are.

2. Have an angle

When approaching journalists and editorials, you need to have an angle - and it needs to be newsworthy. Be really honest and critical of yourself. Is your pitch of interest to others, or is it really just of interest to you? Is it a news story, or is it promotional material? Journalists aren’t there to talk about how great your business is, their job is to deliver an angle.

3. Promote yourself

A great way of receiving earned media is through pitching yourself in areas of relevance to your brand, and promoting yourself as an expert in your field. You could do this through offering opinion pieces to editorials, or providing comments on topics in the news cycle that relate to your expertise. Put a face to the brand, and advocate yourself as an industry thought leader.

Pitching and finding newsworthy angles can be difficult, but that’s what we’re here for. If you need some help cutting through the noise and getting your brand seen in the right places, contact POPCOM Director Amanda Lacey at amanda@popcom.com.au.

Article by Sophie Richardson