As the pitching landscape changes, new methods and innovations are slowly becoming more popular among experts in the profession as public relations practitioners aim to create better content. It has become necessary to determine how globalization, the economy and evolving technologies are affecting the profession and discover ways to develop better methods of communication that puts a client’s or company’s content in the right hands. This process entails better structuring of messaging and building relationships with the right people, thereby helping public relations professionals achieve the results they are looking for.
In this week’s PRSA “Friday Five” post — an analysis of the week’s biggest public relations and business news and commentary — we look at a brand new “press release” that could change the way companies make big announcements and delve into numerous expert opinions on how to position content (even during a client’s slow period) to garner placements. We also take a closer look at the role that larger global issues are playing in the development of quality content.
Is This the World’s First Vine Press Release? (PRNewser)
On February 28, 2013 the makers of Sonar, a mobile app that tells you when your friends and friends’ friends are nearby, sent out the first press release delivered via 6-second Vine mini-video. Sonar made an announcement about the large investment they received from Microsoft’s Bing Fund. Is this the future for press releases? PRNewser’s Patrick Coffee reports that TechCrunch is hoping this new release style doesn’t catch on, but one never knows what will become popular because of the speed at which the public relations profession evolves.
No News to Share? Create News Yourself (PRWeek)
Almost every public relations professional has dealt with down time when their client didn’t really have anything newsworthy to share. However, clients tend to think that everything they are working on is newsworthy and there must be some way to get coverage. PRWeek’s Guari Sharma offers some suggestions on how to “deliver press results for a client lacking catchy news.” Here is a brief overview of Sharma’s tips:
- Generate your own research.
- Leverage industry headlines.
- Pitch a unique POV for a byline article.
The Global Economy and Public Relations: Impact and Outlook (Forbes)
In February, PRWeek and MSLGroup sponsored a meeting of the minds where corporate and agency public relations executives came together to discuss issues such as “quantifying the impact of the global economy on the communications industry across key regions of the world.” The result of this discussion and other discussions based on this meeting is an understanding that the economy has varying effects on the industry from country to country and city to city. Forbes contributor Ken Makovsky goes on to cite a number of trusted sources when taking a microscopic look at this topic but ultimately, Makovsky sees this as an issue that communications professionals must stay ahead of in order to maintain dynamism and develop viable business models.
The Two Emerging Media-Relations Skills Every PR Pro Needs (Ragan’s PR Daily)
Ragan’s PR Daily Jeremy Porter talks about two media relations tactics that are more effective in today’s public relations landscape and that he believes will get you the results you’re looking for: inbound and real-time media relations. Porter writes that tactics such as telemarketing and direct mail are no longer the right way to reach your target audience. Inbound marketing affords communications professionals the opportunity to develop various platforms with the information that your audience is looking for allowing you to publish newsworthy items and showcase your expertise. Real-time media relations requires communications professionals to be tuned into things as they are happening in order to identify an opportunity that may be a good fit for a story you are looking to pitch or a client that can add an alternative angle to something that has been published already.
Perfect PR and SEO Relationship: 3 Tips (Inc.com)
While public relations and SEO teams share a common goal – to increase their brand’s presence in the market place – it’s not always clear to either team that they should be working together. Inc.com’s Jon Morris writes, “[collaboration] between these two teams can lead to new content, better publicity and even new business.” Morris worked with Julie Perrigan, Rise Interactive’s SEO manager to outline three areas where companies can begin to forge ties between their public relations and SEO staff. Here is a brief overview of those areas:
- Increase quality content and links.
- Build relationships.
- Promote.
Nicole Castro is the public relations associate at the Public Relations Society of America.
