Getting to the nitty-gritty of your story

The right words speak volumes for your brand and, when you get the message and your storytelling right, it really inspires, builds recognition, and enhances reputation.

In today’s increasingly competitive and challenging economic climate, creative communications are the way to give your company an edge. You may be the best manufacturer or service provider, the most supportive employer, with the broadest product range and most comprehensive customer service in the country, but if you don’t tell anyone, no-one will know!

There’s no such thing as no news

Sometimes companies may think they are going through a quiet period and have no news to share, but they couldn’t be more wrong! A good PR agency can create interesting editorial content on your behalf, whatever the time of year, rather than waiting to be fed news when you are busy with the day-to-day running of your business. There’s always a strong story to be told, which will engage the reader and inform them about your brand, keeping your company front of mind with existing and potential customers.

The key thing to remember is to keep in contact and share news. Whilst agencies shouldn’t require spoon-feeding, you should keep them abreast of key developments. New contract wins, case studies from satisfied clients and any other news specific to your company, can help to keep your name in the headlines. So don’t stay quiet, let your agency know about it. Even if you think it’s insignificant, they should be able to use the information in some way, be it on your website, as a press release, or as content for a blog.

Content comes in many forms

There are many ways of getting your messages and story across that go beyond press releases and editorials, adding to the huge value that these bring. Tailored content for your brand might include, for example, speaker slots at a key event or exhibition, written content for your website and further digital and social media support, internal communication, community engagement or radio interviews. Building your reputation involves integrating a number of tools to create a consistent programme of communication to set out what you stand for.

Getting to the crux of the story

There’s a well-known saying in journalism that “When a dog bites a man that is not news, but when a man bites a dog that is news.” In essence this means an unusual, stand out story is more likely to grab attention than an everyday occurrence. Our role as PR specialists is to create the type of story people want to share and that will interest readers. For example, if you have a partnership announcement, what does it mean for your audience, what changes could occur in their industry as a result? If you’re developing a new product or initiative is there something topical in the news that you can link it to, so it’s top of a journalist’s agenda?

Not all news is good news

Just because your company is excited about a development doesn’t mean journalists will be. It must be informative and significant, and anything that’s too promotional will simply put readers off. The best way to enhance your reputation is to deliver a consistent programme of newsworthy communication – and in our world, there’s never a ‘no news’ day!

If you feel that your company could benefit from a higher profile in relevant target markets please get in touch