Post on social media every day
If you don’t have a social account on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, it might be time to create those accounts. Social is the new PR and if you are not in the game – you are not keeping up with your craft. If you already have accounts for your business, stay up to date with posting. Give followers fresh content. Fill the well regularly and you will have people coming back for more.
Start a blog
It’s a great way to build thought leadership in the areas of your and your client’s expertise. If you work with a health and wellness brand, for example, there is a wealth of consumer-facing information you can post about that would be valuable to your readers – and your clients who can be referenced within the blog. (Bonus resolution: Share your blogs on social and get your followers back to your site!)
Write a column
Step out of your comfort zone and write a column. Get your firm some exposure of its own. We call it “PR for PR.” There are plenty of reputable business publications looking for your expertise. Forbes even has a formal “council” program where they encourage business people to write a column. And while there might be some opportunity to mention a client or two sometimes, remember that if you are going to be a contributor to a news organization, you must separate church and state. This is your opportunity to shine as a thought leader in your field and build your reputation with your clients.
Research reporters’ writing
This is a no-brainer. Become familiar with the reporters and outlets you’re reaching out to. Personalized pitching is so important and is what’s going to get you placements in 2019. Please don’t pitch a reporter – EVER – if you haven’t read their last three articles. It’s that simple.
Follow up
If a reporter missed your pitch the first time – there’s nothing like a follow-up email checking back to see if they might be interested. Subject lines like “Follow up from yesterday” or “Checking back from yesterday” may compel them to open the email and focus on what you pitched. Just don’t be a nag.
