PR publications in the media: expert recommendations

How to work with the media to get results: strategy, content, frequency of PR publications in the media, performance metrics. Detailed guidance from the 2L Lead Project Manager.

Preparation for PR in the media 

1. Before you start working with the media, ask yourself the question: What for? What effect do you want to achieve with media publications? Brand awareness? Public expertise? Promotion of top officials? Image change or reputation improvement? Having a clear understanding of goals will help you plan your strategy correctly in the future. 
2. Having figured out the goals, conduct a comprehensive market analysis: study how your competitors are represented in the information field, collect all mentions of your company. Identify your target audience. Evaluate her awareness of your product or service.
3. Identify the experts who will become the official representatives of the brand in the media space. They are required to be sociable and able to respond quickly to media inquiries, including face-to-face meetings and oral interviews. In order to avoid legal problems, it is necessary to obtain permission to use the personal data and photos of all speakers. And prepare a dossier for each expert: professional biography, achievements, photo portraits in several formats.

Information hooks

Outline a content plan and topics for your first posts. Among the effective information hooks, one can distinguish:

• Presentations of the company’s new products;
• Publication of analytical materials and research results;
• Coverage of collaborations with partners;
• Detailed reviews of failed projects are perceived more vividly than traditional success stories, which are saturated with the information field.;
• Company’s participation in specialized events: speaking at industry conferences, organizing your own event, etc.

How many publications do you need?

There are two important principles to keep in mind when working with the media:

1. Quality is more important than quantity.
2. Consistency is more important than frequency.

Quantity is not the same as quality 

Analyze the quality of each placement, especially paying attention to the selected sites: numerous publications on second–rate resources and/or release receivers are so-so. Working with the media is based on a well-thought-out strategy, not on the pursuit of numbers. It is important that publications are published on reputable sites with a target audience for you – then it is really valuable and effective.

Frequency of PR publications

On the issue of the frequency of placements, general guidelines can be formulated. For large companies from among the industry leaders, this is 15 or more materials per month. Because they need to maintain their status and visibility in the market. Medium-sized companies can post from 6 to 10 publications per month in different publications. For small firms and highly specialized companies, 3-5 materials per month are enough to remain visible in the information field.

However, the more important thing is not the frequency, but the consistency of this work. So that it doesn’t work out, for example, 10 publications a week before the PR manager’s vacation, and then a half-month downtime.

In addition, to create a holistic image of the company, use various content formats: news notes, analytical articles, interviews, etc. Regularly provide expert comments and generate informational occasions. These actions will help establish a solid brand reputation and contribute to long-term success.

Media publications: paid and free

Many people mistakenly think that public relations is only about editorial publications, due to fame, expertise, newsletters and agreements. In fact, effective PR requires a combination of paid and free media content. This is especially true for new projects that find it difficult to get attention without extra effort. Let’s look at both ways of working with media in more detail.

Free publication of articles and comments in the media

Getting free publications is a normal goal of any PR specialist. But most publications almost do not take into account press releases, even from fairly well-known companies, unless they are giants such as Yandex, Sberbank or Apple. In order for the material to be accepted for publication without payment, it must correspond to the subject and editorial policy of the media, contain unique information, be relevant, and demonstrate the author’s high level of expertise on the topic. It is critically important to avoid obvious advertising – the article should be useful and interesting for the readers of the publication.

If you are just starting to work with the media, it is wise to take a step-by-step approach. It is difficult to immediately create content that meets the requirements of leading business publications such as Kommersant or Forbes. A more effective strategy would be to start collaborating with niche and regional media. Pressfeed, a platform where you can express yourself by providing comments for journalistic articles, can be a good launching pad. Over time, having gained experience and established contacts with representatives of the press, you can expand your media opportunities.

Of course, when working with editorial materials, there is always an element of unpredictability – this is a normal part of PR activities. The main thing is to gradually strengthen our presence in the media space, strengthen our reputation and raise the level of public expertise.

What will help you access the media for free?

• Start by creating a calendar of information guides. This will make the work more systematic and insure you against downtime due to a lack of themes.
• Consider the interests of specific publications. Your content should be useful to their audience.
• Mass mailing of template press releases is getting worse. It is better to create personalized materials for individual publications or offer exclusive information to a limited range of media outlets. This approach increases the chances of publication.
• Monitor Pressfeed, set up subscriptions based on keywords or target media, and respond quickly to journalists’ requests. 
• Develop analytical materials and organize research.

If it is difficult to attract media attention organically, paid publications can be an effective tool. This is especially true for brands that do not yet have enough popularity or media representatives to interest journalists.

Commercial-based PR materials: more than advertising

Paid PR publications are not explicit advertising. On the contrary, these are useful, interesting texts, sometimes even written by journalists rather than PR people. This may be the same expert material that just barely fell short of being accepted for free — because the expert is still unknown or the topic is not catchy enough to interest the editors.

The main advantage of the paid format is the complete control of the content by the customer and the accurate planning of dates.

Paid PR content represents a unique balance between the editorial style of a publication and the interests of a corporate customer. Such materials are harmoniously integrated into the general information flow of the media, while emphasizing the key points important for the brand. As a result, the audience gets high–quality content, and the brand gets effective communication with it.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of PR publications

Despite the widespread opinion that PR cannot be assessed by precise metrics, and that its effectiveness is generally difficult to measure, it is possible. And it is necessary. And most importantly, there are tools and clear KPIs for this.

Quantitative indicators of working with the media

• The frequency of mentions of the company in the information field;
• Media Index;
• Being mentioned in the main role (when the brand is the key figure in the article);
• Audience reach (based on the actual number of views, not on the total audience of the sites);
• The number of publications placed in the company’s priority media resources.

Qualitative assessment of work with the media

An important factor in the qualitative assessment is the accuracy of the transmission of the key message in the published materials, including after journalistic processing, which is especially important for free publications, when the editor has the last word.

You also need to look at the reaction of readers and their interest in publications, monitor the emotional coloring of materials – how information about the company is presented and what feelings it causes the audience.

Do not forget to analyze the genre diversity of publications. It is good if you can alternate news notes based on press releases and detailed expert longreads, analytical reviews and editorials with comments from company representatives.

The impact of PR on business: indicators for evaluating complex campaigns

It is not always possible to measure the impact of PR on business performance. Such metrics are usually used when evaluating complex, fairly large-scale campaigns.

• Positive dynamics of site traffic;
• Growth in the number and quality of leads;
• Changing the attitude of the target audience towards the brand (it is studied purposefully through surveys, feedback analysis);
• An increase in the frequency of incoming requests from journalists, offers of cooperation, partnerships, invitations to conferences, contests, etc.

«We provide our clients with comprehensive reports that contain both quantitative and qualitative indicators. At the start, we coordinate the frequency: As a rule, this is once a month or once a quarter,» says Irina Burenina, 2L’s lead project manager. – Each report is accompanied by fresh market analysis and suggestions for further promotion strategies».

The formula for effective PR in the media

Summarizing all the above, we have formulated an equation that demonstrates the approach to working with the media that we use at the 2L communication agency and recommend that those who decide to do PR on their own adhere to it.

Analytics + Strategy + Content + Media + Personalization + Evaluation + Consistency = Effective PR.

1. Analytics. We start with research: we analyze the target audience, evaluate the brand and its positioning, and conduct a competitive analysis.
2. Strategy. We set goals, key messages, develop a plan, and set a budget.
3. The content. We are working on information guides, making high-quality, personalized media-related materials in various formats.
4. Media. We are located in targeted, relevant media outlets, gradually increasing the level of sites.
5. Personalization. We are looking for an approach to the sites and journalists, taking into account their interests and the specifics of the audience.
6. Evaluation. We monitor the effectiveness of formats, channels, themes, etc. to adjust the strategy.
7. Consistency. We work with the media on an ongoing basis. Long-term relationships with consumers through PR require regular interaction and consistency.

By adhering to this algorithm, you can make the media your friends, and PR a working tool that will strengthen business and consumer loyalty to the brand. But let’s be honest, few companies have sufficient resources to organize truly comprehensive and systematic work with the media. In addition, by entrusting PR tasks to an agency, brands benefit in terms of expertise and startup potential: communication and PR agencies know exactly where to start, know how to use media analytics tools, and have established contacts with the media, which is especially valuable if the client portfolio includes business cases in your industry. All this helps to avoid possible mistakes and get more meaningful results in a shorter time.

Would you like to receive a PR offer for your company from the 2L agency? – Write to us at sales@2l-pr.ru or leave a request using the button below. In the message, indicate: who you are and what product you need to promote; why you need PR in the media; who your target audience is; what budget you are considering for PR, or at least on what scale you want to promote: region, Russian Federation, narrow or wide your target audience.