If you want to keep on top of PR and media relations, one surefire way to understand the pulse of the industry is to read some of the top blogs regularly. Social media and public relations rely on knowing trends, not just in pop culture and media, but trends facing the industry, as well. Here are 5 topics important to PR that we want to share with you.
5 Tips for a Killer Press Release
Writing press releases is of course, one of the most vital aspects of media relations. The PR in Your Pajamas blog recently featured an article highlighting 5 Tips for a Killer Press Release. When you write a press release that is sent to a press release distribution service it can help your company's online visibility, elevate your brand and drive new visitors to your website. Here are the 5 tips outlined in the blog post:
- Keep it short and fit it on a single page.
- Don't send your press release on a Monday or a Friday.
- Spend most of your time creating the perfect headline.
- Use stats and quotes.
- Stick to the tried and tested format.
Memes: Tips to Help Them Go Viral
Memes and other fun or funny images have been a big trend in social media. The PR Blog SpinSucks.com recently wrote about Memes: Tips to Help Them Go Viral. In the same way you can piggyback on trending news to get the attention of fans and followers, companies can also use memes in clever ways to draw attention, shares, and goodwill. People will remember your brand if you make them laugh, smile or bring out other emotions. Popular memes you can make new variations on include Grumpy Cat, Bad Luck Brian, and Success Kid. Memes are effective because they can tell a story at a glance, people can relate to the concepts in memes and adopt them, therefore sharing them, and memes are timely. Memes, especially those with cute animals, funny kids, or lovable pop culture characters can make your post memorable to readers. The important thing to remember when using memes in your promotional content is to tie it into your brand and include a call-to-action. Including that follow-through step is a vital part of making even the best meme work for your company.
Why Customer Service and Social Media Must Learn to Work Together
Cross training for all departments is a growing trend for businesses. Any company that deals with the public in social channels has likely already realized that customer service skills are a must for the social media team since they will most certainly interact with customers and potential consumers. The PR2020 Blog recently explained to us Why Customer Service and Social Media Must Learn to Work Together. Included in the article are some tips on how to best respond to upset customers who post complaints on your company's social media channels. The blog article also explains that companies should consider integrating customer service and marketing departments for efficient customer relations. Companies might even consider implementing customer service training company-wide. This will ensure that your customers will always have a positive customer experience no matter who they speak to in your company, in any department.
5 Event PR Mistakes Every Newbie Makes
Event public relations are an important aspect for so many companies that put on or host events. The PublicityHound.com blog helps us learn what not to do in their article 5 Event PR Mistakes Every Newbie Makes. Here are the 5 mistakes and a solution for each.
Mistake #1: Not Enough Details. Make sure not to have a minimalist approach here. Include as many details as you can when promoting your event including notable attendees, entertainment, food, giveaways, speakers, and the calendar or schedule of events.
Mistake #2: Overpromising. There is a fine line between hyping an event and overpromising or embellishing too much in your content. Make sure to confirm everything and only publish confirmed details.
Mistake #3: Expecting Media to Find You. Publicity is all about distributing your information, or in this case, event to the media. Don't wait for them to find you, seek out the relevant sources and influencers that you want to attend or cover the event. Consider personalized and individual invites.
Mistake #4: Not Sending Multimedia Releases. Launching a press release is very important to help promote your event. Remember to include rich media such as images, video, and embedded content in your release and use a press release distribution service. Lastly, make sure your release is as exciting as your event will be. Boring releases won't get anyone excited or interested in your event.
Mistake #5: Thinking the PR Part is Over When the Event is Over. Follow through is ultra-important to continue the buzz about your event after it is over. Publish and distribute a post-event release that includes a recap, quotes, pictures, and attendee numbers. This will give you a much greater chance of PR success for your event and future events.
What are 5 Questions You Should Ask Your Media Monitoring Provider?
Once you have your PR on track, it is important to follow through with monitoring and measuring the results and mentions. When you hire a firm out to help handle your PR and media coverage, it is important to know how to choose the right one. You want to be able to make sure that your company's PR stays on top of the trends without having to stay on top of the company you hire to take care of this aspect of your business. Here are the 5 questions, see this post for more details.
- What types of media do you cover, and to what extent?
- Will you help me set up my monitoring brief and create the right searches?
- How fast will I get my relevant coverage?
- What if I'm not sure about what I should be tracking?
- Do you need to report on your coverage?
Summary and Takeaways
Since PR and social media lend themselves to staying current, it shouldn't be a difficult task for PR professionals and marketers to grasp the idea how important it is to keep up with current trends within the industry. The 5 trends we covered today are about writing killer press releases, using memes in social and PR content, customer service integration into social media, event PR mistakes not to make, and combatting the rise of 'Churnalism'.