If you do a word cloud on a specific journalist to find the topics they are writing about, everything has shifted to “COVID”, “pandemic”, or “vaccine”. Even journalists that one would go to on topics like tourism or energy have shifted towards topics regarding the current pandemic. While it is good to continue pitching news stories to the media, we recommend our clients shift towards getting a paid piece and setting a budget for paid PR.

A New Three-Phase PR Approach

Our new approach to PR starts with an opportunity map of the different resources available. In this first phase, our clients pay for us to research and make recommendations of different media channels that can be used. Potential channels include social media influencers, podcasts, vlogs, or any other channels that fit your goals and particular situation.

The second phase involves CIPR acting as your agency to all the different media channels we have agreed on. Depending on your objectives, goals could include paid advertisements or inclusion into a holiday gift guide, ultimately building that relationship between your company and the channel.

The final phase is management. It is important to ensure the metrics are all lined up, and we are tracking the relevant data. We make sure that we get regular reports to make adjustments based on what the data and market are telling us.

Press Releases Rarely Work Well

Even going back before COVID, single press releases were never particularly effective unless you were already a company the media was going to. More success was seen in a multi-press release and strategic approach. It is better to slow down from a PR perspective and think about multi-channel marketing and ask, “What does my online or offline presence look like?” If it looks like nothing, you will not get the attention of any media outlet. Have something from a marketing and communication perspective to back you up, and as your business grows, your PR opportunities will grow alongside. Two questions you should ask yourself:

• What are my goals?
• Am I ready?

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