Photo Credit – Unsplash
By Ryan Haynes, Director at Haynes MarComs.
Just as the media landscape is continually evolving, PR is also undergoing a rapid change – particularly over the last few years.
Media outlets have fewer resources, budget and staff; this means communications professionals need to be even savvier with the content we pitch.
Nowadays, there’s much less daily or weekly news, replaced with real-time updates often populated by RSS feeds and rehashing what’s trending on social media. Many feature opportunities – particularly in trade titles – have been lost as media outlets respond to audience demand for immediate, real-time content. Appointment pages have pretty much disappeared. Opinions (especially outspoken ones) dominate.
So, with Cision’s annual report – there’s ‘food for thought’ to help us better engage with the media and our journalist contacts.
The key trends identified in the report:
- 68% said they wanted data – in the form of original research, such as trends and market data relying on data to inform editorial strategies,
- 66% responded with “provide data and expert sources,” when asked specifically what communications professionals can do to make their jobs easier
- 37% won’t consider covering a product unless the pitch includes data showing trends and problems the product is solving for readers
- Press releases that include multimedia elements get up to six times more engagement than press releases with text alone
- 66% use social media to source information
- 2 in 3 prefer to attend an event in person versus virtually.
- Press releases are the #1 source for generating content or ideas, followed closely by industry experts and major wires.
Biggest challenges for the media
- Maintaining credibility
- Lack of staff
- Declining advertising income
Combined, these factors mean free earned PR is increasingly difficult. More media are pay-to-play or expect some form of commercial partnership. There is a need to take a more collaborative approach with the media rather than simply pitching specific stories.
Key considerations
- Journalists want data. This forms the bedrock of credibility and editorial planning
- Media are concerned about the critical nature of maintaining truth and accuracy, but optimistic about the transformational role of tech and data
- Press releases are the #1 source for generating content or ideas and are also considered most trustworthy sources for media, followed closely by industry experts and major wires.
- Journalists are researching beyond press releases and email pitches
- Understanding the readership and editorial policy is essential
How should this inform your Media PR strategies?
- Focus on expertise; what value can you add about current market behaviours? Ensure you have a spokesperson with ample availability for phone and in-person interviews, sharing knowledge and insights for the region
- Provide insights and trends. Can you identify specific and interesting behaviours? Can you provide a data-led narrative for both macro and micro market activities?
- Consider performance; what is the commercial impact on a specific or group of customers – and what is the context? (eg world events, social events or key dates)
- ROI for your clients; what is the transparent financial benefit?
- Use your owned channels – including social media – wisely. Media use it as a key resource yet will be turned off by too much blatant marketing
- Don’t expect your products to get much free publicity – even when an outlet uses your data
- Be creative in sourcing insights, and using polls and surveys
- Be savvy with investment; create high-quality hard hitting PR campaigns timed to coincide with advertising and other activity to maximise the impact on your audience
- Ensure you have multimedia and specific imagery for all press releases and content pitches
- Focus on the readership and their needs, not your own marketing goals
It’s essential to keep on top of the changes in the media to build the right relationship to expand your influence. And relationships may be influential but more powerful is the contact – does it resonate with target audiences? and is it customised to key publications’ readers?
As you build your PR plan, supercharge the media impact with social media strategies which build your organisation’s profile and use your owned channels to reinforce key messages.
