You may have heard this a few too many times before - Public Relations as we know it has changed (after all, it's this premise that I've built my whole business on!).
It's not on the way out or being replaced by anything - but it does work differently, and to be effective in PR today means knowing how the practice has evolved.
Modern PR is no longer defined solely by power suits, cookie cutter press releases blasted to anyone with an email address, or busy people running around planning and generating buzz events.
Public relations today plays nicely with marketing and the various tactics you're using as part of your content marketing strategy. PR doesn't (shouldn't) work by itself, in another department, as an entirely separate approach. Instead, it works alongside marketing to amplify your message and make both strategies more effective than they ever could be on their own.
Understanding what PR looks like today, however, is only half the battle. The other half is knowing exactly how content works to fuel a modern PR strategy.
THE CONTENT TACTICS A WELL ROUNDED PR STRATEGY SHOULD INCLUDE:
Press releases and guest-contributed articles — these are the must-have content elements of a great PR strategy. These pieces are distinct from one another, from who writes them, to where and how they're placed, to what goals they're designed to achieve. They each serve a purpose, and if you're only implementing one type and calling it "modern PR," then you're going to have a hard time.
For example, relying only on press releases is going to be tough when you're not doing something newsworthy every day. And relying on guest-contributed content exclusively is going to make it hard to benefit from the third-party credibility of an outside mention that sings your praises.
For your PR to be its most effective, you need to rely on the right types of content. Here's how these two separate content elements contribute to a solid PR plan:
PRESS RELEASES
What they are: A press release — sometimes also called a "news release" or "press statement" — is an official statement issued to news and media outlets on behalf of a company to announce a milestone, award, event, or other achievement.
Press releases answer the big who, what, when, where, and why questions right out of the gate. They also usually include a quote or two from someone at the company and conclude with basic company and contact information.
What they do: Press releases are an excellent go-to tactic when your company has done something newsworthy and wants to spread the word. They're good for generating interest and excitement around an event or development, and because they're simple to create and distribute, they're pretty cost-effective. The idea is to generate a press mention (or some form of other third party mention such as a blog or through an influencer) that provides the same kind of third-party credibility that word of mouth does.
What they don't do: By nature, press releases are promotional tools used to highlight individual events and accomplishments. This makes it difficult to use them as a long-term, trust-building tool that helps you consistently engage your audience and key media over time.
GUEST CONTRIBUTED ARTICLES
What they are: Guest-contributed articles are articles that are bylined by a thought leader in your company and contributed to an outside publication for the purposes of sharing educational, valuable information, ideas, and experiences with readers.
What they do: High-quality guest content can introduce your brand and your expertise to new audiences who don't know you and build trust among audience members who are getting to know you. Guest articles help you build a reputation as a thought leader, reach and engage new people, and even invite interested readers to learn more on your website
What they don't do: Guest content is non-promotional. Its purpose is to reach new audiences and to share valuable, engaging information with them — not to promote your company, your products, and your services. And while it's published content in outside publications, like press mentions, guest content is authored by your company's thought leaders, not someone outside your company.