The New PR: How to Use Your Blog to Get Placements With Key Media Sources
Let's face the facts - the Internet has changed the way the media gathers stories.
Today reporters and producers can uncover all kinds of information about you, your experience in the topic area, your ability to contribute to their story, and your stand on key issues simply by performing a quick and easy Internet search.
Which gives us the opportunity (arguably the obligation) to actively manage our online reputation.
Blogs are one of the best ways available to do exactly that.
Blogs have many advantages over traditional websites. They simplify the process and provide a logical location to convey additional information than that which is usually contained in a "here's what we do and why you should buy from us" website, they make it easy to weigh in on current issues, and they are a great place to demonstrate the depth and breadth of your expertise.
Indeed, one could argue that a reporter or producer will find a blog to be a much more powerful means of vetting a potential source than a traditional, blog-less site...
Making it more likely that they'll call you, rather than your competitor.
Which is one of the keys in the practice of PR!
Here are five ways to make your blog a more productive tool to generate publicity and to build your business:
5 Keys To Generating Better PR Coverage Using Business Blogs
1. Have a business-oriented blog, with prominent links from your base website
Not only must you have one, you've got to make it obvious and easy to find.
2. Create a mission statement for your blog and weigh all potential posts against their ability to deliver that mission
Focus on delivering content that is focused around business objectives.
For example, pictures from your company picnic would most likely be inappropriate if your blog's mission statement calls for it to be the place that makes you the industry's opinion leader or if it is to publicize case studies of how your company resolved industry issues.
On the other hand, those pictures may be appropriate if your blog's mission is to show that you are the friendliest company in the industry.
But then again, what reporter (or potential customer, for that matter) is interested in seeing photos of your sales manager's 10 year old just after getting hit by a water balloon - that, and pictures of your baby napping on your chest belong in another blog somewhere else.
Constantly ask yourself the question: "will this generate another story or create another sell?" If the answer's no, put it in a personal blog somewhere else.
3. Constantly demonstrate your expertise in your blog entries
Don't feel afraid to strut your stuff, to provide specific examples and to teach lessons where appropriate. Do it with wisdom, but reporters and customers are looking for experts in the topic area, not just observers.
4. Blog with a personality
Pure information may generate one-time visitors, but personality is key to creating a following, both within the media and your industry. Controversy creates coverage and reporters, editors and producers are constantly looking to balance their stories by finding experts to weigh in on both sides of an issue.
Don't be afraid to state your opinion on issues, to point out problems and to call a spade a spade.
Another key is to identify what personality you wish to adopt. Do you want to be opinionated, fun, traditional, combative, hard line, lighthearted, or wacky? There is a place for each, but rarely all within the same blog. Decide what personality you want to portray, make sure that you're comfortable with the ramifications that it will create, then stick to it. Your personality will oftentimes be the major factor that tips the balance in your favor when a top talk show is trying to decide between two potential guests with equal expertise.
5. Blog. Frequently!
All of the above is useless if you only post a few times then go on permanent hiatus. Make blogging a regular part of your marketing and PR efforts if you wish to see it generate results.
As you build your blog based on these foundational elements and actively promote your blog (see my entry on how to do this tomorrow), reporters and producers will use your blog to identify you as their most desired expert, guest or commentator. Plus, you will begin to generate improved results, increased coverage, and a media and customer following that will make business blogging a foundational element in building your business well into the future!
Author: Don Crowther | Jul 12, 04 | Permalink
| 5 comments
Category: @ Don Crowther | Topic 1 PR and Participatory Journalism
I agree with your point: "Don't be afraid to state your opinion on issues...to call a spade a spade."
CEO's and senior managers are often very candid when they assess their company or business in private, but (perhaps as a result of the 'old PR,') clam up and say very bland things in public that never generate stories or media attention. The time is right for 'CEO blogs' for those daring few who will speak their minds.
I noticed a story just today about Marks & Spencer, with a gem of an example of not calling a spade a earth extractor. CEO Stuart Rose, described his company as "formal, middle-class and boring." !!
Herb Kelleher was another example. When he was CEO of Southwest Airlines he spoke his mind, and that personality rubbed off, not just on the rest of the company, but in the media coverage.
Posted by: Angelo Fernando at July 12, 2004 02:31 PM
I agree that blogging has changed the way the media gathers stories. One of the more traditional newspapers, The Dallas Morning News, has a blog and occasionally puts opinions from bloggers in its editorial page although I take issue with the selection because they're the "in crowd." Nonetheless, it's progress.
Posted by: Meryl Evans at July 12, 2004 06:21 PM
Meryl - I think one of the big advantages of blogs is that we all get to express our opinions - I hate the process of writing letters to the editor and waiting to see a) whether they will print it and b) how they edit my feedback / comment. Talk about discouraging interaction. I guess its the same elsewhere but Australian radio stations are all using websites and so on to greater advantage and allowing comments on key issues and so on. But even this is a lot less satisfying than having your own blog. When you've got the choice its hard to see why you wouldn't be your own publisher.
Posted by: Trevor Cook at July 12, 2004 06:40 PM
Hi Don,
I think it is appropriate that you think about your blog's mission and stick with it as you mention in point 2.
2. Create a mission statement for your blog and weigh all potential posts against their ability to deliver that mission
However, this mission should not completely cover your personality as you mention in point 4.
4. Blog with a personality
I actually do think its okay to talk about your cat every once in awhile. I think that actually may be the way companies are starting to use blogs. This might seem silly, But our culture has become increasingly less formal. We spend so much time at work, that the formal rules of how you behave at work are now to act informally but don't act stupidly. That's the way blogging culture works. You can inject some personality and chat about your cat so long as you do your due diligence and talk about the main topic of your blog. The personality and the cat reveal that you are an ordinary human. People don't want faceless corporations they want to talk to people.
Posted by: John Cass at July 12, 2004 09:34 PM
Just be yourself. If that doesn't work, hire someone to do it for you.
Posted by: Ross Mayfield at July 13, 2004 12:29 AM
- About
- The Global PR Blog Week 1.0 is an online event that will engage PR, marketing and business bloggers from around the globe in a discussion about blogging and communications. The event is scheduled for July 12 - 16, 2004.
- Links
- The New PR Wiki
- Recent Entries
- Looking forward to 2.0
- Site Statistics and Trends
- A participant’s final thoughts
- Traditional PR is dead - Long Live DIY PR
- Quiet is the new loud
- Recent Comments
- Rick Barry on A Very Brief Look at Blogging for the Uninitiated Executive
- George Mc Quade on The Battle Over PR
- Duncan Adams on Robert Scoble interviewed on Corporate Blogging
- Kevin O'Keefe on How to launch a corporate blog for a professional services organization
- William Luu on Site Statistics and Trends
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