The goal of PR is to cause a change or prompt a measurable action—a decision made, awareness of an issue raised, a product purchased, a vote cast—by affecting target audiences’ perception of a company, product, service or individual.
Traditionally, PR practitioners have relied on our ability to reach audiences by communicating through others, including journalists, employees and analysts. That skill continues to be crucial for most organizations, but it’s also important to note that PR has evolved due to changes in the media, as well as social technologies that promote communication without intermediaries. PR programs today can reach constituents directly, and the discussion can benefit from content that provides real insight. Here are three steps that will help you optimize your content efforts:
1. Customize Content for Each Audience: I’m always disconcerted when I hear people apply the abbreviation “PR” to press releases. Releases have their place, but other forms of content are assuming primacy in PR programs. These include articles, blog entries, a Twitter streams, video, ebooks, case studies, e-mail newsletters, white papers, podcasts and interactive presentations. Use them only if you believe a substantial part of your target audience turns to them for information.
Many marketers are allocating more money to creating these and other forms of content. For a look at the topic, check out Junta42’s “2010 Content Marketing Spending Survey,” which says 59% of those surveyed planned to increase spending on content. I can confirm that we’ve seen an outpouring of interest in creating articles, blogs, microsites, videos, podcasts and other material.
Companies can supplement the value they derive from telling their stories through others, who often add their imprimatur to the information conveyed, by communicating in a straightforward manner. Free but high-value content created with specific audiences in mind can bring PR into the realm of lead generation and nurturing.
2. Optimize and Market Content: When PR practitioners listen to what their company’s constituents are talking about and then tailor material to address those topics, they’re going to generate good material. The PR team should also be clear from the outset about what they hope to achieve with a content program. Goals might include more visits to a Web site, reduced customer service costs and greater customer satisfaction.
To be effective, content can’t just sit on a Web site, YouTube channel or blog—PR pros need to market it and make it easy to find online. It can be disseminated via e-mail newsletters, put on RSS feeds, linked to in blog commentary, promoted via Twitter and LinkedIn, referenced in press releases or incorporated in social media releases. At the same time, content has to be optimized for search so target audiences can find it using popular search terms. For this reason, it’s imperative that PR teams understand the basics of SEO.
Search technology helps prospects, customers and other constituents find information when they want it, in the format they favor, while social media lets them communicate directly with your company and share with friends and followers information that they find valuable. A continuous supply of content, then, helps people discover companies’ products, services and opinions when that content is optimized for search. At the same time, it gives marketers something to offer target audiences to keep them engaged with the organization. Ideally, it makes them more likely to buy, build loyalty to a brand or develop a particular stance on an issue.
3. Measure Success Against Goals: Evaluate the effectiveness of their content strategy and adjust it to make the best use of their time and budget. PR teams should get to know tools such as Google Analytics, which tracks Web site traffic. If they want to take the next step and convert traffic into leads, they may want to consider software such as HubSpot, which can guide content distribution and draw individuals into greater interaction from targets over time.
PR teams should suggest programs that combine news if it’s available, outreach to influencers, direct communication with strategic audiences and free but valuable (“freemium”) content for lead generation and nurturing. They can then evaluate how they did by evaluating Web site traffic, leads and other metrics in addition to clips.
Fresh content is fast becoming a foundation element of many organizations’ PR programs. Its ability to help PR pros close the loop between marketing and sales makes it particularly appealing, as does its natural affinity with social media programs. PRN
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This article was written by Laura Kempke, VP at Schwartz Communications. She can be reached at [email protected].