Just because you don’t have hard news doesn’t mean you can’t be part of the news cycle. By creating your own news team and developing a unique point of view around topical issues, you can generate a steady flow of news and relevant commentary between major events like funding, partnerships, product/service launches or new hires.
Contributed content– Contributed articles/bylines are a great way to gain executive visibility and brand awareness—plugging you directly in front of your ideal audience. A contributed article is drafted directly from the perspective of a company’s thought-leader, and is then published by a target publication for their readers. Not only does this build a reputation for your executives, but it also allows the company to strengthen its brand voice with a solid stance or opinion on topical industry news. However, it’s crucial not to come off too self-promotional in these pieces, as publications will be inclined to steer clear of anything that feels like an “advertorial”. To gain even greater visibility, be sure to amplify and distribute these contributed pieces via your social channels.
News hijacks– Identify top trends that matter most for your business and develop a compelling point of view on each subject. This is helpful in addition to bylines and can be leveraged to insert your company’s voice into bigger industry news. More importantly, timeliness is key, so in addition to having a unique perspective, make sure you have content ready to go once news hit. Furthermore, consistently offering prepared comment to journalists on a set of topics will help establish your reputation with them, which will lead to them thinking of you and your company next time they have a story that needs influencer insight.
Research– Make the information and insights from your organization work for you by creating a report on trends that only your company can identify, based off the data you collect. If you have compelling data or research that you can share, turn that into a campaign that hits home with broader market trends. It is even better if there’s enough data to create a quarterly report, to remind media who you are and what you can offer. You’ll want to use data that demonstrates your company’s unique selling point, as these reports act as proof to journalists that your company really is the ONLY place to obtain the information you’re supplying. And even if they don’t write about your report, it will demonstrate to them why you’re different, and what you can offer. And when there’s no news, it’ll be these relationships that will create new press opportunities.
In all, the takeaway is simple. Don’t depend on expected news, create your own. By planning strategically ahead and creating intriguing storylines, you can be in the driver’s seat of your company’s story.
