Date: 12 Nov 2008 Comments: 0

It’s Nov. 13, 2008. We are in a financial crisis and companies big and small are trying to increase revenue and cut spending. After having my own PR agency and working with a number of fast-growing companies, PR is still the best way to get the greatest return on investment! Now, in this economy, it’s more important than ever to leverage the power of PR to promote your company.

Below is a list of Top 10 tips for companies of all sizes to expand their influencer network using PR:

1. Create an interactive relationship with your key audiences. Now with the emergence of social media, it’s easier than ever to establish an interactive link with your audience where they can easily access your information and keep you in mind. The goal is you want to maximize the top-of-mind awareness for your company with your audience!
2. Effective public relations, including media relations, is a two-way street. Virtual press rooms and interactive press rooms are a great way for you to update your audience members without being in their face. A number of solutions are FREE and companies should definitely take advantage of them!
3. Utilize your networks and share your expertise. Build your company’s awareness and authority by creating a leadership platform around your company’s unique expertise.
4. Start a blog. If you have the expertise, consider casting yourself as an insider; offering how-to tips or sharing other helpful knowledge about your industry.
5. Think of your PR plan of attack and who you want to target. Successful PR is all about targeting the right reporters/ influencers and having them sing your company’s praises. The more targeted you are, the more successful your chances are of getting a reporter to respond to your pitch.
6. Always include your website address, or URL, on all your press releases. By having your website address on your press release, you are driving eyeball traffic to your business by making it easy for readers to click on your link and to go directly to your website.
7. Collect e-mail addresses your target audience members. Regularly update your partners, clients, potential clients and targeted media with the latest news about your company.
8. Craft a story that people will care about. There has to be more to your message than: “I’m here; come buy my product!” You need to first provide some honey to get your audience to notice you! Your PR efforts should be engaging and interesting to audiences, because an engaged audience member is more likely to pay close attention to your communication efforts.
9. Message agreement—make sure that all channels of communication are “singing from the same page,” and that what you’re communicating to one audience is consistent with what you may be saying to another.
10. Make friends with the media. Reporters are people just like you and me–they appreciate honesty and truthfulness. If a reporter inquires about your competitors, be forthright. Also, if all else fails, inviting a reporter out for drinks always works too.