After almost three months in lockdown, and PR possibly taking a back seat while you have been trying to best maintain the business, we are finally starting to emerge to a totally new landscape. So, whether you chose to continue with your PR agency or in-house team - or had scaled down or even paused – I wanted to share five simple tips on what you could be doing for your PR right now.
1. RESEARCH & LISTEN
Keep an eye on what is being talked about in the media. The easiest way is to follow a handful of ‘your’ key journalists or influencers on Instagram or Twitter and listen to what they are sharing. Invariably, some content will reflect what’s being sent to them by brands or PRs but there will also be new conversations. It might just be that you are able to contribute to these conversations which can not only be useful now, so as not to miss out, but also for future planning. Research and listen. What is resonating now may not be what was resonating when you planned your launch 3 months ago.
2. USE SOCIAL MEDIA
It has never been more powerful and relevant. Instagram Stories is buzzing daily with live content, Tik Tok has seen 315M downloads in Q1 alone and Facebook has launched its new video chat feature ‘Messenger Rooms’ (similar to WhatsApp video calls). One of the major shifts in social content is towards positivity and the desire for ‘real news’. Most platforms have also experienced a rise in usage – some more than 20%. Interestingly, engagement on sponsored posts and Ads has increased by over 76% on Instagram proving that it could be a really good time to consider paid influencer activity.
3. LAUNCHES
To Zoom launch or not to Zoom launch? If you have a launch coming up and you need to get the word out there, there is no need to STOP everything. The media is still looking for relevant content. Whether it’s a journalist, an influencer, or any type of content creator, they are reliant on that content to keep on coming. So just consider how best to tell your story. Try and make it relevant for ‘right now’. If not, can you spin a positive angle on it? We are all looking for positivity right now. Zoom launches can be effective implemented in the right way. No one is leaving their desk right now, so it’s a perfect time to do a ‘one-to-one’ or an intimate ‘virtual’ breakfast or tea. If you want to ‘gift’ the press, consider more interesting and useful ‘additions’ for your launch. We have never been more grateful for food, flowers – and of course cake.
4. CONTENT CREATION
It is not surprising that many brands have turned to social media. Creative story telling on social media is at its best which is why platforms such as Tik Tok have seen huge growth and some content creators are busier than ever. Live Streaming has seen huge uplift with exercise classes, cookery demos, tutorials, seminars – there has never been a better time for this type of content. Regardless of whether you have a launch, is there anything about your brand, or a specific product that you can make relevant right now. You may have a fabulous expert behind the brand or someone within your organisation who is perfect for this but if not, also consider bringing in relevant third party brands, or experts which can both enrich your content and widen your audience.
5. PLANNING
Use this time to reflect and plan. What is important for your brand – right now, and tomorrow. Look at your reporting systems and establish whether you can measure what’s working and what’s not working. Investigate more detailed analytics that you may not usually have time for. If your PR Agency is paused – consider a service such as Coverage Book which has a variety of tools and data measurement. Use the data to plan forward. The new PR landscape will not be the same and we need to remain flexible, sensitive, creative, and courageous.