Free publicity should never be turned down. However, there are plenty of business owners who might not be the best at recognizing an opportunity for some of that sweet PR that drives up your business’s reputation, its brand awareness and, in turn, the revenue built. Here are some of the PR opportunities that you should be willing to both recognize and create from scratch.
Product launches and changes
Perhaps the most obvious of them all. When you’re running a product or service launch of any kind, you want to make sure you have as many eyes on the business as possible, and this means getting the press involved, as well. You can further boost your launch platform by taking the new product out to exhibitions or getting it in the hands of influencers early. However, it doesn’t have to be a completely new product, either. Those who are into your products and services are likely to be just as interested in the iterative and quality of life evolutions that you can put in place over time, making them a good reason to hit up your press contacts, too.
Growth and expansion
New milestones are worth celebrating and they are also worth getting the word out for a variety of reasons. If you’re moving to a new location, going global, or simply scaling your operations so you can cater to a greater number of clients, you should share the news. First of all, it’s positive proof that your business is worth supporting, meaning that people are more likely to support. Secondly, if you are moving to new markets, then you need to make the people in those markets aware. This can be much the same as running a launch, which means that you need to get PR involved, as well.
Awards and accolades
Whenever you achieve something that is worth celebrating, you should be getting in touch with as many of your press contacts as you can. Winning awards and accolades from independent bodies are especially worth bringing attention to. Many of your PR opportunities will involve “tooting your own horn,” to some degree. Awards and accolades are not that. They are validation from other bodies and individuals, which can often be a lot more valuable in the eyes of the market. Rather than hearing why your business is great from you, they’re hearing it from other independent voices that they might be quicker to trust. Independent validation can help you get over one of the most major barriers that new customers and clients will face.
Corporate and networking events
When you’re on the run-up to an event that you are attending or running, it’s wise to bring attention to that fact as best as possible. A few tweets out about network events you are attending will help drive awareness of your place in the industry. However, if you are running your own event with the help of a corporate event planner, you want to make sure that you’re getting in touch with any many people who can boost the platform as possible. For one, events are big occasions that can help get out your brand message. Experimental and new events are more likely to get the kind of attention that you are looking for, but you can look for newsworthy happenings even within more common corporate events, such as if you’re giving recognition to a known name in the industry.
Surveys and case studies
There is always hunger for informative and factual content amongst people who are most interested in the industry. People want to know the trends driving both customer behavior and business norms. One type of content that can help capitalize on that hunger is the survey or case study, especially if it relates to your brand. Looking for customer feedback on certain industry changes or offerings, or even things that are tangentially related to your business can get a lot of interest. It also positions you as a thought leader within the industry. You’re not just shining the spotlight on your own achievements, you are contributing to the wider conversation within the industry in a more meaningful way.
White papers and research
Publishing a white paper or a research article has much the same appeal as a survey or a case study. However, it takes a lot more effort, work, and time. As such, businesses may want to work with market research providers who are a lot more practiced in the scientific methods used to produce these kinds of things. Not only can the initial publishing of white papers and research papers be a newsworthy event in and of itself. They also provide plenty of opportunities for you to find key figures and facts within that you can then respond to. Being able to speak authoritatively and with passion on trending and new topics can be great for PR, as we will look into next.
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