Best “Hack” for Planning/Running Public Relations Campaigns

The idea of hacking used to be associated almost exclusively with the computer industry. A hacker was someone who found clever or clandestine ways around computer safeguards. But more and more, hacking has acquired a broader application, associated with developing and exploiting unconventional means to accomplish a task in a variety of industries and settings. Public relations (PR) campaigns are no different.

When it comes to PR campaigns, one of the best hacks that’s overlooked by most businesses is to focus on the interests of the audience. This sounds obvious until put into context: most marketing focuses on the product or service being offered. Sure, the messages are directed at the audience, but the audience isn’t the focus. The concept is simple: give your audience something they’re interested in. Become the source of that information, and they’ll start to visit your platforms more often, become familiar with your brand, see you as a trusted industry expert and, ultimately, provide you with business.

Content marketing is a great example of this tactic. According to the Content Marketing Institute, “Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.”

So, if you own a beauty salon, don’t talk about your salon, its services or your beauticians—offer some unique and useful beauty tips. If you’re a law firm, offer specific advice aligned with your areas of practice.

This isn’t a difficult hack to master: get a firm grasp of the audience you have in mind (the readers, viewers, listeners, etc. of the specific media outlet); consider what’s important to them or what information might be valuable to them; and, in your pitch, make sure to incorporate these points. Yes, your goal is to advertise/promote your product, service, or yourself, but they’re not really interested in you—only in what you do, or can provide, that would be useful to them.

For further reading, Marketo provides a great infographic about the use of content marketing by businesses, and Forbes has an interesting article discussing the basics.

Recommended Reading:

The Everything Guide to Customer Engagement

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