Heading into the final quarter of 2020, many of us continue navigating the familiar challenges of this trying year. Many businesses are relying on remote workforces for the foreseeable future. Teachers and students are pivoting to online learning and virtual engagement. Collectively, we are still acclimating to our new normal.
Like many others in neighboring industries, PR professionals find themselves operating in a landscape that continues to transform before our eyes. We’re learning that what traditionally has worked may no longer apply. Agility, persistence, poise and creative thinking are traits that many of us rely on now more than ever before.
As PR pros work toward driving brand awareness for clients and securing editorial placements, we sadly do so amid shrinking newsrooms. There have been countless impacts to the community of journalists that we’ve built relationships with and critically rely on for news coverage. Getting information out and reaching readers has become more difficult, leaving those of us in PR to rethink our approach.
Recently, this article from PR Daily explored three common challenges PR pros face and offered tips for how to address these challenges. Here are a few helpful takeaways from that article.
Scrutinize news pitches appropriately
As PR pros, our job is to help clients identify what topics will draw the most interest from journalists and news media. Not everything that we wish to promote may come across as newsworthy. Sometimes, PR pros have to work with clients on refining a pitch angle so that it is juicy and meaningful to our target audience.
To do so, the article lists a few important questions to ask that can help refine a story angle. These include:
- How is your news relevant to the community?
- What is the human element?
- Is there data to support this news?
- Do you have an expert that can speak to the situation?
If you’re unable to find a news hook after asking these questions, more digging is needed, or this news will need to be tabled for the time being. After all, you may not want to invest too much time into an idea that isn’t likely to succeed.
Define and manage expectations
With so much change occurring across the media landscape, managing and aligning on expectations with your client is critically important. Carefully considering pitches is a must because news outlets are approaching their coverage with a higher degree of scrutiny.
Additionally, the news cycle operates rapidly, with some stories getting bumped and pitches being placed on the backburner. Make sure clients are aware of this, as well as any changes that are happening with media outlets with whom you regularly work. Remember, your PR role is to serve as a trusted adviser to your client when working with media and driving brand awareness.
Reach out to the right contacts
Journalists are bombarded with news right now, especially those working in shorthanded newsrooms. Make sure that you’re pitching to the right journalists whose coverage beats align with your news story. It might help to have a developed article ready to go to save the journalist time from having to write it up themselves. Many outlets welcome contributed content, and this may help secure coverage.
Consider sponsored opportunities
Everyone wants to see their story published in top-tier news outlets, but these days, nothing is a given. If a client wants to ensure coverage, it might make the most sense to publish it on their own social channels or pursue sponsored content opportunities.
By leveraging owned channels, you’ll be able to sidestep the process of selling media on your news story and see the article publish sooner. This content can be re-marketed later as you see fit. Or, if reaching the audience of a top-tier publication is your objective, sponsored content programs are available. Native advertising tools – such as Outbrain and Taboola – can help your content reach these outlets.
PR pros – like many other folks – have certainly learned new ways to demonstrate agility and problem-solving skills this year. Necessity truly is the mother of invention. Hopefully, with these helpful tips, we’ll not only learn new ways of solving problems, but also learn how to achieve new goals as we close out the year.