DON’T FORGET MEDIA RELATIONS

Social media dominates most marketing conversations today. And why shouldn’t it? In many aspects, it’s still uncharted territory with tons of potential for brands to engage with consumers in new and creative ways. When pulling together a plan, it’s important to consider all of the tools in the marketing toolbox, including media relations.

There are more and better places to pitch than ever.

It’s true that many magazines have folded since 2008 and that media are more segmented than ever. This, in fact, may turn out to be an advantage for brands, especially ones specializing in a niche market. The key is identifying and pursuing the media the target audience consumes. A well-placed post in a key blog may end up generating more results than a front page article in a hometown newspaper.

Media coverage is actively monitored and is still perceived as more credible.

While a lot of blood, sweat and tears go into creating a website, many brands don’t realize their target audiences may not actively monitor online tools for news and updates on a regular basis. Most audiences do, however, actively track media coverage. And because a brand’s story is being told through a third party—in this case, the media—it not only lends credibility to a message, but also is more memorable.

Media relations is still one of the fastest ways to generate results.

Depending on the newsworthiness of a subject and the type of media targeted, placements can be secured as quickly as the same day. And since the average trade magazine’s e-newsletter usually enjoys a larger daily audience than a typical brand’s number of Facebook fans or website’s unique monthly visitors, that means more eyeballs. More eyeballs increase the odds for generating more results.

A media placement can be used as content for other marketing channels.

When a placement is secured on a local news station or in a trade magazine, chances are the story is also available online. The brand can post a link to the story on Facebook, Twitter or on a media center or newsroom tab on a website. (Be sure to observe copyright laws when posting.) And because smaller media outlets and bloggers are also building their audiences, they’ll appreciate it when a brand directs its audience to their pages to read the article.

If you’re adding media relations to your marketing mix, properly measure results to see the full impact of your investment. Media results are more than the number of placements, impressions or ad equivalency rates. Review the goals set before the campaign was launched and utilize them as benchmarks for measurement. Did sales increase? Did all key markets cover the news? Did stock increase? Was coverage more meaningful than in previous years? Did a major retailer inquire about the product after seeing an article? Each of these goals can be used to help determine if a media relations campaign was successful.

Ready for a conversation about media relations? We’re here to help, and ready to take your call.