Embracing Modern PR

Authored by Rucha Bhalekar, Director - Corporate Communications, Kinnect.

Nowadays, marketers who believe PR should be more flash, bang, and whizz dismiss the essential press release. However, this underappreciated communication tool is essential to any successful marketing strategy. The idea is to build on top of the foundations, employing techniques tailored to our digital age. Only then can you understand the true strength of modern public relations.

So, you've perfected your PR messaging and received approval for your press release. Soon, you'll be sending it to your key connections in the hopes of securing the kind of publicity that will generate new leads and raise brand awareness. But how can you ensure that your story falls well, and what should you do next?

If public relations were primarily used for broadcasting, it has evolved into a dialogue tool, which is good. Many brands are still figuring out what it entails and developing a rhythm in their public relations operations. Most businesses still use public relations primarily as a broadcasting tool, and they're missing out on how modern PR can help them succeed. I'll go through some ways brands can adapt to contemporary PR attitudes.

Engage in a conversation

Startups are continually announcing new hiring, funding rounds, and milestone successes in the IT environment. Now, while this can help with brand exposure and is beneficial in and of itself, there is a better method to go about it. Assume you're simply going to press to brag about your company's amount of private equity. In that scenario, it could be construed as an ego play. Still, if you do it quietly and focus on how the newly obtained funds will aid in the development of a better product or service, you are engaging your audience in a dialogue. Instead of just broadcasting to them, you invite them to participate in a larger conversation.

Use social media efficiently.

Many businesses utilise social media as a marketing playground to aggressively promote items and make profits. There is nothing wrong with advertising; individuals dislike being advertised to. They do, however, desire to be educated, entertained, and cared for. When you log into your social media accounts, you search for value and make real connections, not just for the adrenaline rushes. That is why businesses should use social media to communicate with their customers and develop content that provides value right away. This value can take the form of education, entertainment, or a profound understanding of their audience's problems.

Create community-based platforms

Many businesses want to create massive newsletter lists and term their communities. That isn't a community because you're just broadcasting to your audience. Don't get me wrong: newsletters are helpful, but to truly build a community, you'll need to create a platform that allows your audience to offer their information, opinions, and ideas. You can create a forum section on your website to enable users to participate actively in developing your product and service.

My audience is the same as yours

Every media piece is magnified heavily on social media, resulting in an exploding ecology. The impact of networking is enormous. The more media coverage you can develop that ties you to your target personas, the more will amplify it and the more value both sides can derive.

Although modern media is more precise than traditional media, there are still various factors to consider. For example, when it comes to public relations, you want to reach your target audience while also providing value to the journalist. In this situation, everyone requires something else. The journalist is looking for a story, you are looking for a platform, and the audience is looking for information. The job of the brand or PR firm (depending on who is in charge of PR) is to find a solution to satisfy all parties, resulting in significantly increased brand awareness and continuing coverage.

It’s critical to have a plan, and it's also crucial to translate that strategy into comprehensive methods that support meaningful relationships with all parties involved.

Modern PR is all about conducting those meaningful discussions with your target audience. It's all about allowing meaningful interactions to improve products, services, and trust.