Have you had a PR win? Make sure it's not going to waste!

So, you’ve scored yourself some excellent PR wins, but are you making the most of them? Samantha Dybac, CEO and founder at The PR Hub, explains a few ways to ensure as many people as possible notice your hard-earned PR achievements.

In my article for Kochie’s Business Builders last month I answered some of the key questions that small business owners have about PR, including how it differs from other marketing and advertising activities, the importance of driving meaningful ‘conversations over conversions’, and the impact of weaving your personal founder story into the broader narrative of your business communications.

One of the best things about PR is the role it can play in building long-term brand awareness, credibility and trust.

Sure, it’s exciting to see yourself live on breakfast television or writing an opinion article for a major news outlet. But how many ‘eyeballs’ does that guarantee you? Not everyone watches breakfast TV or has time to read the news each day.

Missing the people who matter – your customers or potential staff, even investors – is a missed opportunity for connection.

So let’s review some of the most effective ways to ensure your hard-earned PR wins aren’t going to waste.

Make friends with LinkedIn

Whether you’re doing it yourself or outsourcing, make sure you’re on LinkedIn regularly – building your network of connections, sharing PR wins, promoting your (and your company’s) expertise, and sharing ideas. Sharing media coverage on Linkedin also means connecting with potentially important members of your target audience who will value the coverage, but who may not have viewed the original coverage.

A great example of this is in recruitment, a highly competitive jobs market. Companies are fighting for top talent and job seekers are on Linkedin looking for trustworthy, reputable companies – and business leaders – to work for. If you’re recruiting, being able to share independent media coverage with job seekers is a powerful way to stand out.

Don’t feel that promoting yourself and your business on LinkedIn is self-indulgent, either. As long as you are authentic and are sharing content that adds value for your connections, LinkedIn is an invaluable PR tool.

The softer side of investor and sales decks

If you’re pitching your business for investment, it’s unlikely those you’re pitching to have seen all your media coverage. While data, metrics and performance results (the quantifiable stuff) often takes priority during the process of raising capital, media coverage is a valuable ‘credibility asset’, so make sure it’s included in your investor deck.

Similarly, including a slide or two showcasing recent, relevant media coverage and exposure will add value to the softer side of your sell in a sales deck, and demonstrates the power of your brand.

Free advertising (on your own website)

So much effort gets put into building amazing websites, yet so many businesses fail to use theirs to showcase earned media coverage.

‘Earned’ is key here – not to discount the power of advertising, but think of your website as your very own publishing platform. Why waste an opportunity to cross-promote your business? Media appearance? Podcast interview? Panelist or speaking gig? Upload them all.

If you’re time poor or lack resources, simply add an ‘As Seen In’ section to your home page and feature the logos of all the media sources where you have appeared. You can build out a dedicated page with more links and context down the track.

The gift of internal communications

In a recent episode of KBB TV I spoke to Kochie about the importance of bringing your people on your journey. An important part of this is sharing not only where marketing/PR funds are being spent, but also outcomes and results.

Whether it’s via a monthly newsletter, an internal channel like Slack or Teams, or in a more formal presentation, make sure you’re showcasing your PR wins internally as well as externally. Employees and stakeholders will feel uplifted to see they’re working for a business that values its people and is being independently recognised for the great work it is doing.

Your people will always be your greatest brand representatives. If your staff believe in and appreciate the business they’re working for, they’re more likely to advocate for it more publicly, too. And that’s good for business.

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