Standing out is tough. As PR professionals, we can empathize with that statement. We battle daily for journalists’ time and attention. We have to consider which story is most likely to catch their eye, what assets we can we provide to entice them to request an interview, and how to package all of it into a succinct, intriguing email.
I recently came across an article called What You Need to Stand Out in a Noisy World, in Harvard Business Review. The author, Dorie Clark, a marketing and strategy consultant and author, explains what you need to separate yourself from the crowd. In the process of researching her book, Stand Out, Clark interviewed 50 top thought leaders in a variety of industries and came to realize there are three elements that are essential to getting ideas understood and accepted. The three elements are:
- Social Proof
- Content Creation
- A Strong Network
While Clark focuses her article on how you can stand out as an individual, these elements are relevant to a variety of situations, including PR. I’ve outlined how we can leverage her findings on behalf of our clients.
Social Proof
Clark defines social proof as an aid to help people make a judgement about something. In the case of an individual, it could be the company they work for or the university they attended. At Communiqué, we work with a number of early stage companies and brands that are working to raise awareness of their offerings. In order to create social proof and build credibility among journalists, one of the most effective ways to elevate our clients’ brands is to align them with other respected brands. For instance, naming major customers, important strategic partnerships, and impressive board member or investors helps build trust with a company that isn’t a household name yet.
As I’m sure many of you are aware, this is sometimes easier said than done. Often, customers and partners require approvals before speaking about a deal publicly. We recommend that whenever companies are working through negotiations, they include permission to name their partner or customer directly into the contract. This will help save time and ensure that brands can display their hard-earned social proof.
Leveraging social proof will get the audiences you are trying reach, often journalists first, then ultimately the journalist’s audience, to take the company and its goals more seriously. They’ll know that these credible companies or individuals will have properly vetted the company before choosing to align with them.
Content Creation
In the context of PR, this might feel like a no-brainer. PR activity ultimately depends on the business objectives of each company, but more often than not, we recommend our clients include byline development in their plans, as they are a great way to build credibility. Developing and placing articles in key publications has several benefits.
First, it establishes the author as a thought leader. It gives the audience insight into the trends they are observing, influencing and predicting.
Second, it allows the author to control the message. If a company has a complicated story, telling it through bylines will help accurately communicate all aspects of their story and vision and educate the audience.
Third, it’s another way to build social proof. If someone is a published author in credited outlets, then the ideas and perspectives they are sharing are more likely to be considered insightful and people will be more inclined to take interest.
A Strong Network
As are many industries, PR is an industry focused on relationships. As mentioned earlier, journalists are flooded with pitch ideas daily. It’s important to reach out to them with thoughtful, relevant pitches in order to gain their trust. As you demonstrate the value of the ideas you are presenting, build a relationship with them that will allow you to leverage the relationship on behalf of your clients. This will take time, but will be a valuable advantage to you and your firm.
It is also critical that we assist clients build their own relationships with the journalist. Before briefings, provide clients with background information on the journalist and the call objective. This will allow them to go into the call prepared and present the journalist with the information they need. If journalists have productive, insightful conversations with the sources you connect them with, they will likely come back to your client as a source for future stories.
Next time you begin working on a campaign or a plan for a client, consider these foundational elements of standing out. Effectively integrating them into your daily work will help you achieve greater success on behalf of your clients.