What Makes You Newsworthy? Making Sure You Benefit From Earned Media

To promote your business and brand, paid media isn’t enough.  Although powerful and creative ads are still important for engaging and retaining customers, you can’t rely exclusively on them.  For a well-rounded marketing strategy, you need earned media as well: news reports, feature articles, blog posts, and a strong social media presence that places a focus on you and your company.

When people hear about your business via social media or by reading an article in a respected publication, the impression left on them is likely to be deeper, as they engage more with the content, discuss it, and pick up on what others are saying about it. McKinsey Quarterly has reported that word-of-mouth is a significant driving force behind consumer behavior, and the 2013 Edelman Trust Barometer has found that people are generally most likely to trust reports originating from fellow consumers, particularly on blogs and social media; academics, experts in a particular field, and traditional media spokespeople (e.g. a news anchor), are also perceived as relatively trusted sources.

To experience the greatest benefit from earned media, you need to make sure that people can easily write about your business and find fresh and compelling information to share about it.  In addition to promoting yourself through paid media, providing interesting news releases and engaging website and blog content, that people will be moved to tell others about, is an important strategy that will only help you to build brand awareness.

To encourage the development and propagation of rich, newsworthy content, consider the following questions:

• Does your business have an inspiring or fascinating story about how it was founded?
• Is your business producing any important innovations?
• How has your business improved communities or changed the lives of individuals for the better?
• What differentiates you from your competitors? What is your unique vision?
• Have you or any of your employees recently achieved honors, awards, or other forms of recognition?
• How have you and your employees’ demonstrated ingenuity, leadership, strong teamwork, and/or social commitment in the business world and beyond?
• What developments do you foresee in your company and in your field more generally?

If your answers to these questions and other relevant ones are positive or remarkable in any way, the public needs to know.  Pique the interest of both existing and potential customers and attract attention from media professionals.

Contact us to develop a comprehensive marketing campaign that includes high-quality earned media.  With our personalized service, we’ll meet the specific needs of your business and commit ourselves to your growth and promotion.

 

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