4 PR tips to spring your brand forward
It’s official, Spring is upon us!
Even if there is still snow on the ground at your feet, it’s time to think about springing forward and new beginnings—for your brand.
Most of us look forward to Spring due to the warmer weather and need for new, lighter wardrobes. However, this change of the season also provides the perfect time to give your PR strategy a new look.
Here are four easy ways to freshen up your PR strategy and make sure Spring is your brand’s season to shine.
Do some spring cleaning
While spring cleaning usually refers to clearing closets or opening up windows that have been shut all winter, it can easily be applied to your professional endeavors.
Chances are your Google Alerts and social media feeds are clogged with accounts you are no longer managing or have any interest in.
It’s time to refresh!
Update your alerts, unfollow users that are no longer relevant, and eliminate any unnecessary items you no longer read.
While you’re at it, spend a little time finding new inspiration and accounts to follow. Like, ahem, Hearsay (@hearsaypr), any of our sister companies (@vieveandjo, @namedropco, @calamityjent), or our founder (@kjblattenbauer).
The same can be said for the media or press section on your website.
You do have a media or press section, don’t you? If not, add one immediately.
If so, take some time to remove any news releases, media clips, or customer case studies that are more than six months old.
Also make sure that at least five high resolution images and your latest logos are easily available for the media to download.
Spring also is a good time to look at your media contact list and remove old relationships while updating contacts who have moved on to new outlets.
The fresh season also a great time to rekindle some of the relationships you worked hard to secure in the past, but have let slip over the years.
Whether it’s by email, phone, or DM, spend time building and refreshing the media relationships that will help your business spring ahead, not fall back.
Go back to the basics
A seasonal wardrobe relies on a few key staple garments, and so does a solid PR strategy.
While it’s important to always be thinking ahead and identifying potential PR opportunities long before they arrive, it is equally as important to always tie your PR strategy back to your brand’s key messages and mission.
You can quickly cut through all the clutter by getting back in touch with the story of what has always made your brand unique. Then, identify two or three new ways to help share that story with the media.
Tired of always talking about yourself?
Mix in some new flavor this season and let ambassadors do the promoting on your behalf. These power users can tailor their success stories into a compelling problem-solution angle showing how your business changed their lives.
DO SOME DIGGING
Digging while the ground is still frozen in most the country may seem a bit ambitious, but mining for opportunities knows no seasonal bounds.
Day to day, it’s easy to get bogged down keeping up with the latest happenings in your industry or with your competitors.
That doesn’t mean you should forget to step outside your niche to search for new opportunities
Go for a walk, listen to a podcast, or visit a book store and peruse through magazines that interest you. You just may find something interesting that at first glance has nothing to do with your brand, but could make for an interesting media opportunity or story.
For instance, Spring Break is on everyone’s minds. There isn’t an industry in the world that I can’t think of a Spring Break-related pitch for. Feel free to challenge me in the comments below on this.
Even better, start networking!
Meet a peer or fellow entrepreneur for lunch or coffee. They may be able to help you see a fresh news angle or approach you may not otherwise have thought of. Ask them, as someone who knows of your industry, what they want to hear about.
It could revitalize your media outreach strategy.
Stock your shed
While it may be too early in the season to think about gardening, a good PR pro will tell you that having a well-stocked tool shed is key to being a media success.
To spring forward your PR strategy, think about adding new tools to your daily routine. Sign up for Help a Reporter Out (HARO), download all the free PR templates you can from our shop, or join our PR-focused Facebook Group, the Hearsay PR Posse.
Being proactive just may help your brand gain rising media mentions, much like the temperatures.
Not sure what you need? Evaluate what your biggest threat to growth is and identify several a few potential solutions.
Then, take advantage of free trials on new tools until you find one that makes you question what you ever did before it came along.
Spring is the perfect time to break from your routine, and sometimes breaking the routine is exactly what you need to refresh your strategy and realize your brand’s media potential. Using the tips above, you’ll be ready in now time for new beginnings and a fresh start.
