Stop being scared of digital PR

While your more established competition might be able to put more budget towards digital pr, it doesn’t necessarily always equate to the right results.

If the content isn’t of a high enough quality and the outreach is poorly executed, an e-commerce business can create all the content in the world but they’ll still see those organic visitor numbers flatlining.

And many do.

Conversely, you’d be surprised how big an impact just a few well-thought-through stories can have on your search ranking so don’t be afraid to compete with your bigger rivals - so many of them aren’t getting their digital pr right.

Don’t be afraid to create content that doesn’t focus on your brand or products

There are times when the stories you tell the world need to be aligned with your brand but that shouldn’t be the goal in itself. Your goal is to earn coverage and links.

If there is a topic that interests the customers you want to attract, find the heart of that story and tell it. If your brand isn’t at the heart of the story then leave your brand out. 

If the story is fresh and interesting then it’ll be covered extensively and you’ll earn large numbers of valuable links because you were brave enough not to make the story about your brand.

Don’t be afraid to think and act like a journalist

It might help to try and think like a journalist who is looking to write a story that will make the front page rather than a brand marketer looking to tell the world why their brand is so great.

Your objective should be to create a story that will get people clicking, talking and sharing. 

Let your brand identity guide you towards the ideas but don’t let it suffocate them.

Put the reader at the heart of your story. Ask yourself what it is that will get them clicking .

A journalist’s primary concern is whether a story will be read, not whether they are getting across all the messages they set out to include.

Put yourself in the place of a journalist when you are coming up with ideas or reading through a press release.

Don’t be afraid to pitch your content far and wide

If you are creating content that is genuinely interesting then you shouldn’t be afraid to send it to a wide media list.

If you have done your job and made the story both relevant and newsworthy then you should feel confident sharing it as widely as appropriate.

Your aim should be to win coverage and links so the content you create and the media you distribute it to should go hand in hand.

A good story is a good story for the wider media, not just for those titles within your niche.

The key to success in digital pr is to be published and earn links from as many new domains as you can so distribute your stories with this in mind.

Don’t be afraid to be creative

Some of the most successful digital pr campaigns have been born out of simple yet creative ideas.

This is where you can have fun and move away from the types of stories you traditionally create.

A good starting point for your creativity is to think of extreme examples of how your product or service might be used and mock that up visually alongside a story.

Ask yourself ‘what if’ questions about your brand and your customers.

Look to the news agenda to give you ideas.

The important thing is to be playful while remembering to think like a journalist.

Ask yourself if what you are creating is relevant and interesting.

Will it get people clicking, talking and sharing?

If you are interested in taking the fear out of your digital marketing so that you can compete with your more established rivals then get in touch for a free discussion.

© MOTIVE