This article originally appeared in Fast Company.
Five tips for creating a steady drumbeat of positive PR moments for your brand.
Brands are looking for PR wins.
We hear it all the time. When speaking to new business prospects or existing clients, they’ve got a big public relations goal in mind—a breakthrough TV interview, a feature story, that coveted award win, anything in their dream outlet.
In a noisy, competitive, and changing landscape, big PR moments can be a game changer. But they’re just that—a moment. What makes for really effective PR is a string of moments that tie together: a campaign that pulls the right levers (be it awards, op-eds, speaking, quotes, or interviews) at the right time to elevate your brand.
To deliver on your goals, PR should create a steady drumbeat of marketable moments—ones that you can share, reshare, package, and repackage—reminding your customers why you exist and what you’re great at doing.
Okay, but how to make it happen? Here’s what my successful clients have done:
1. GET YOUR PR TEAM UP TO SPEED ON YOUR BUSINESS
Deep dive into your industry, your competitors, and your business at the beginning of your PR engagement. You want the team writing and pitching your business to hear your voice in their head. Then continue the conversation. Weekly check-ins and regular sharing will turn your PR partners into full-fledged members of your team.
2. DON’T LEAVE PR IN THE DARK
Keep your PR team updated on all the latest happenings. Yes, that means new appointments, new partnerships, and new clients, but also upcoming departures or even crises.
It’s always better to bring them in the loop as early as possible so they can plan for all possible scenarios. You need PR to develop thoughtful, reactive content for internal and external audiences—and that is better done with time.
3. BE PATIENT (PR GOALS DON’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT)
Give your PR team—and any member of the media, for that matter—a runway to build relationships on behalf of your brand.
Make sure you give reporters enough time to review your pitch or writing submission. They have many competing stories, and the more time you give, the better chance you have at securing coverage.
Today’s earned media landscape is more competitive than ever, and it’s key to remember that every other company is competing for the same attention.
4. FIND THE THROUGHLINE FROM YOUR BRAND TO THE NEWS
Brands and PR teams have to work together to connect what’s happening in the news overall to your specific story.
Think about trending topics like AI or big cultural events like the Super Bowl or the Oscars. How can you connect your company news or POV to these big moments? If you can, you have a better shot at landing coverage. Stories that are evergreen or too self-promotional have much less chance of getting placed.
5. KEEP THE CONVERSATION (AND THE WINS) GOING
If a tree falls in the woods…
The same goes for PR content. To really maximize the visibility of PR wins, you need to amplify the content. Once a story is published, share it across social, email it to clients and prospects, and add it to your email signature. Encourage your team to do the same.
Bonus tip: If you are sharing content that requires a subscription, make sure to write up a full summary of the story so your audiences get the news without having to click through.
What’s next?
PR—regardless of what you’re hoping to get out of it—needs to be looked at as a long-term journey. It requires planning, patience, and persistence. Doing it right will pay long-term dividends and success for you and your brand.