I recently sat down to listen to the PRWeek webinar, “From Intuition to Insight: Leveraging Data to Refine Your Craft and Deliver Proven Results.” The main takeaway – that should be obvious for anyone who has been working in PR for more than a minute – is that PR expectations are growing, and clients are demanding a mastery of PR measurement.
It feels like it wasn’t that long ago that I was helping to print, three-hole punch, drop into sheet-protectors, and add to a binder – hundreds of articles, what we PR folks call “clipbooks,” to give to our clients as evidence of our hard work and visible results. But news has largely since transitioned away from being dominated by print, TV, and radio, into the online realm, via digital magazines, Instagram stories, TikTok videos, Instagram Reels, Facebook feeds, LinkedIn posts, YouTube channels, Medium blogs, Reddit communities, podcasts, and more that I am probably failing to mention. But without all kinds of tools, it can be difficult to put a “value” on securing coverage on these various channels.
Therein lies the problem – how do you measure the true value of PR? Data analytics is no longer a “nice to have” – they are a significant part of the PR role. Every PR person should (already) be thinking – how can we as PR pros most efficiently and effectively leverage data to demonstrate the value of what we do?
Cision and PRWeek’s sixth annual 2023 Global Communications Report found that analytics and reporting, or attribution and ROI, are top priorities for more than 38% of communication professionals; yet, with 50% of communications leaders struggling to convert data into actionable insights, it’s not surprising that more and more brands are turning to agency partners to help bridge the gap.
Measurement is not a buzzword. It is the best way to show the value of our work and help us to make better strategic decisions to move brands ahead.
The Economy’s Impact on the PR Industry
The media industry has announced more than 17,000 job cuts as of June 2023, marking the highest year-to-date level of cuts on record, according to a recent report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
That means journalists are getting squeezed – pressured to write more articles, with less staff, while it seems like the PR field, like bamboo in a tropical climate, is growing like wildfire. The ratio now stands at 6.2 PR pros for every one journalist, which means we are all competing to grab attention from a smaller pool of journalists and fighting for the same ink.
A May 2023 MuckRack PR survey found that over 70% of PR professionals anticipate securing earned media will become more challenging over the next five years, and more than half are concerned about getting journalists to respond to pitches. Surprising? Not at all.
PR budgets also shrunk in the second quarter of 2023 and have not risen for more than a year, according to the latest IPA Bellwether Report. For those of you in the back who may not have been working yet during the last economic downturn, marketing budgets are often the first items to get slashed when things go south because PR and marketing are considered to be “soft” or “non-essential” costs.
Why Is There a Growing Focus on Data-Driven Insight?
Those of us who have worked in the field for some time know that PR is both an art and a science. It’s not lead gen, but contributes to brand awareness and credibility, and therefore, ultimately lead gen. Coverage by the media is the number one driver of credibility and should be recognized for its value in the lead gen funnel.
It can be hard for PR pros to try to explain everything we do in numbers because it’s not so black and white. But we can’t hide from the data, because it’s part and parcel of the “why” behind everything we do.
More CMOs are now reporting directly to the CEO – up 47%, according to a 2019 McKinsey study: Marketing’s moment is now: The C-suite partnership to deliver on growth. CMOs are now seen as strategic advisors by the business and need faster access to data to report to their boards and C-suite. The CMO’s rapport with the C-suite is crucial for establishing marketing’s role as a growth driver. The McKinsey study found that 83% of global CEOs said marketing can be a major driver of business growth.
A silver lining from the COVID-19 pandemic is that the C-suite now better understands what communication pros bring to the table and the impact of what communicators do.
Stay tuned for my next post where I will continue this discussion by sharing key things for PR people to know about PR measurement, the top use cases, where to begin with PR measurement, and how to leverage data in storytelling with the media.
To learn more about how Zer0 to 5ive can help drive visibility and industry leadership for your company drop us a line.
0to5 Media Moments: August 2023By Maggie Markert
As the news cycle never ends, the Zer0 to 5ive team had a busy summer – especially this August. From the breaking Zoom AI developments to key evergreen topics like low-code/no-code, our team was able to strategically use newsjacking, targeted pitching, and various commentary opportunities to generate opportunities and coverage for our insightful and innovative clients.
Here are a few of the Zer0 to 5ive team’s placements from August.
InformationWeek for Sony AI
Journalists often proactively seek out commentary from experts in a variety of fields so they can develop in-depth pieces on a wide range of topics. The Zer0 to 5ive team is always on the lookout for these opportunities for our clients and their subject matter experts.
On behalf of Sony AI, the Zer0 to 5ive team identified an opportunity for their AI Ethics expert, Alice Xiang, to provide insight for a story related to AI bias – a critical topic that is always high priority in the media. This opportunity resulted in Alice’s commentary being included in an InformationWeek story. Read the article here.
Techopedia for Digital.ai
During the month of August, there were many journalists proactively seeking commentary from subject matter experts. The Zer0 to 5ive team, as mentioned earlier in this post, makes a concerted effort to be on top of these opportunities as they arise.
The team identified an opportunity for Digital.ai to provide commentary from the company’s DevOps expert, Wing To. The team pitched specific insight related to low-code/no-code technology, which was included in an article from Techopedia. Read the article here.
CIO Dive for Onymos
August was the month of Zoom with hundreds of journalists honing in on the implications of the companies AI training methods using customer data. This breaking news item was in the news cycle for weeks, creating an opportunity for various AI, software and data experts to provide their points of view.
The Zer0 to 5ive team leveraged a newsjacking approach on behalf of Onymos. The team offered journalists covering the Zoom news unique and provocative commentary from the Onymos’ founder and CEO, Shiva Nathan. This opportunity resulted in a number of opportunities and coverage, including CIO Dive, Cybersecurity Dive, Datanami, and more. Read the CIO Dive article here.
Precision Medicine Online for PreciseDx
Strategic research is a key component of the work here at Zer0 to 5ive. This means that our team is highly in-tune with the media outlets and journalists we pitch for our clients across a number of industries.
Through regular research, the Zer0 to 5ive team discovered a new coverage area for Precision Medicine Online called “Risk Stratification.” This section of the outlet’s coverage aligns directly with PreciseDx, enabling the team to conduct targeted outreach to the journalists covering that particular topic. This resulted in a profile for the company, featuring commentary from both the company’s CEO, Wayne Brinster, and Chief Medical Officer, Michael Donovan. Read the profile here.
CMO Council for Chatmeter
Media outlets are often interested in receiving long-form commentary pieces from subject matter experts that provide actionable insights for their readers. As part of public relations programs for clients, the Zer0 to 5ive team ensures potential byline and op-ed opportunities are identified.
The Zer0 to 5ive team leveraged CMO Council’s interest in these commentary pieces on behalf of Chatmeter. The team submitted a thoughtful piece from the company’s CEO John Mazur, which covers the use of technology to gain actionable insights from online consumer chatter. Read the article here.
To learn more about how Zer0 to 5ive can help drive visibility and industry leadership for your company drop us a line.
0to5 Media Moments: July 2023By Maggie Markert
Each month, the Zer0 to 5ive team gets to work with so many insightful subject matter experts and stakeholders – from CEOs, to researchers, educators, physicians, and more. Each of these individuals always offers compelling perspectives on topics in fields like education, artificial intelligence, and healthcare, which we are able to help share with the world through our media outreach efforts.
Take a look at some of the team’s placements from July to hear from some of these subject matter experts.
The New York Times for NWEA
As a result of embargoed outreach to The New York Times by the Zer0 to 5ive team, Dr. Karyn Lewis, Director of the Center for School and Student Progress at NWEA, had the opportunity to discuss the organization’s recent research on COVID-19’s impact on student learning.
Dr. Lewis outlined some of the key findings from NWEA’s research and offered educators and district leaders recommendations on how to prepare for the new school year. Read the article here.
The Montgomery Advertiser for YouScience
On behalf of YouScience, the Zer0 to 5ive team worked with a number of key experts and spokespersons to secure coverage with The Montgomery Advertiser, a newspaper within the USA Today network. The thoughtful article chronicled an innovative partnership in the state of Alabama that leverages the power of YouScience’s Aptitude & Career Discovery in a modern manufacturing program through the eyes of a student, educator and YouScience’s CEO Edson Barton.
This piece went on to be syndicated by outlets such as Yahoo News, The 74, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and more. Read it here.
Pharmaphorum for Greenphire
Greenphire is comprised of a team of experts who each possess deep insights into how clinical trial experiences can be enhanced for participants through technology. This month, the Zer0 to 5ive team leveraged the knowledge of Kyle Cunningham, Greenphire’s Chief Product Officer, to secure coverage with Pharmaphorum. This contributed article describes the essential traits that must be considered when selecting the ideal patient engagement technology provider for a clinical trial. Read the article here.
Fierce Education for Territorium
Through proactive pitching by the Zer0 to 5ive team, Territorium‘s Chief Growth Officer, Jonell Sanchez, had the opportunity to speak with Fierce Education. Higher education institutions have been tasked with the mission to demonstrate the ROI in obtaining a college degree and are in need of new ways to impart a degree’s value to prospective and current students.
During his conversation, Mr. Sanchez discussed how colleges can, and should, embrace comprehensive learner records (CLRs) to help boost the ROI of earning a college degree. CLRs delineate the skills that students have developed over the course of their academic career, both inside and outside of the classroom, helping to tell a fuller story about each student’s knowledge and competencies. Read the article here.
Business North Carolina for K4Connect
When a company has funding news to share, it provides a great opportunity for the company’s leadership to meet with local and business media to share an update. Zer0 to 5ive secured interest from Business North Carolina in speaking with K4Connect’s Co-Founder and CEO Scott Moody about the recent close of an $8.9 million funding round.
Mr. Moody highlighted K4Connect’s focus on providing technology solutions to serve older adults and those who care for them, as well as the Company’s unique ability to easily integrate disparate technologies throughout the senior living ecosystem. Read the article here.
To learn more about how Zer0 to 5ive can help drive visibility and industry leadership for your company drop us a line.
Celebrating Book Lovers Day: Book Recommendations from the Zer0 to 5ive TeamBy Sydney Peterson
Happy Book Lovers Day! At Zer0 to 5ive, we’re excited to celebrate this holiday as we value the opportunity to expand our knowledge through reading. Are you looking to learn more about PR and marketing? Explore one of our recent blog posts highlighting industry-related books.
Three Takeaways from the Book, “Pitch Perfect: How to Say It Right the First Time, Every Time,” That Can Be Applied to PR and Media Interviews
The book “Pitch Perfect” shares lessons that can help clients improve their communication skills. Distilled into seven principles these lessons can be applied to public speaking, interviews, or any important conversation. In this blog post, we look at three that are especially relevant for PR and media interviews.
Adam Grant’s “Think Again” Teaches Us to Stay Curious – and Ask (a lot) of Questions!
In Adam Grant’s, “Think Again,” he discusses how things might improve in our work and personal lives if we keep an open mind. There are three key tools we cling to, says Grant, and those are evenly distributed between our assumptions, habits, and instincts, leaving out the most valuable, “having an open mind.”
How Boxing Is Like Social Media – and How to Land Those Killer Blows with Outstanding Content
Learn about the six characteristics of compelling social media content that are outlined in Gary Vaynerchuk’s book, “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World.”
Looking for More PR and Marketing Book Recommendations?
Check out our full recommended reading list. Happy reading!
A QA with Zer0 to 5ive Director of Social Media Andie LevineBy Sydney Peterson
Andie Levine, Director of Social Media
1. What types of social media campaigns have you worked on at 0to5?
There have been a few exciting campaigns I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of. In 2021, I helped Sony AI announce Gran Turismo Sophy, their breakthrough AI agent, which started with a series of cryptic posts hinting at a big announcement on the way. Across all channels, the organic campaign generated 650K social media impressions, 15K link clicks, and 2.2K new followers in a week.
In addition to global announcements, I’ve helped companies establish their presence at industry conferences, accelerate recruitment efforts, launch new products and services, and participate in national awareness days.
2. What is your favorite part about working in social media?
There are general best practices to follow, but there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” strategy that can be applied to each client – which is my favorite part about working in social media! Each organization that comes to 0to5 for social media support has a unique set of goals it is working to achieve through its social media presence. Our job is to find creative ways to meet those goals that resonate with their target audience.
Social media also keeps you on your toes. There are new platform updates weekly, and understanding how each new feature works is essential. It is mentally stimulating, and there is no shortage of new things to learn!
3. What are some brands or campaigns that you admire?
There are so many great B2C brands out there that – rightfully so – get a lot of attention for their fun and often-viral content. However, there’s a misconception that B2B companies can’t also have fun and creative social media. A few great examples I like to point to are: Salesforce, IBM, and Gartner.
4. How do you think social media has evolved since you started your career?
The technological advancements, even in just the past year, are impressive. There are more ways to share content than ever before, which has led to more opportunities for impressions, engagement, leads, etc., which is exciting but also easy to get caught up on. But as much as it has evolved, its ethos has remained the same. At the heart of social media, being transparent and offering value to your audience works.
5. Where do you see social media going in the next few years? What trends are you excited about?
I like that social media is becoming more accessible and conversational for B2B organizations. In the beginning, many felt that their online presence needed to be super polished and sterile – and for some industries, this resonates with their audiences! – but now, they are more willing to lean into “being real.” I’m glad to see companies ditch stock photography in favor of images of their real employees or customers. Even a quick photo snapped on an iPhone is better received than a stock photo.
6. What is your advice for creating more engaging social media content?
If you’re struggling with engagement on social media, you’re likely not sending the right messages to your audience. Start by clearly identifying your top two to three audiences. You should already have a good idea of who your buyer personas are through research, surveys, and customer pain points. After identifying their key challenges, develop content around how your organization can help address them.
7. What are some great resources or blogs to follow for someone who wants to accelerate their career in social media management?
I’m a big fan of Hootsuite. Not only do we use their platform here at 0to5, but I highly recommend their webinars to anyone interested in staying on top of the latest and greatest social media trends. What’s more, the great thing about social media is that you don’t need a client to show off your skills! Your channels can serve as a case study for your ability to create professional, engaging content.
8. What does being Zer0 to 5ive’s Director of Social Media mean to you?
Zer0 to 5ive has a remarkable depth and breadth of expertise and talent, making us a valued partner for organizations building a brand and market presence. As Director of Social Media, I get excited to work with organizations ready to take their social media to the next level: whether this means revamping existing accounts or creating them for the first time.
Social media is sometimes easy for companies to overlook. After working with 0to5, I hope our clients can see the value in creating impactful social media strategies that drive brand growth, engage audiences, and deliver measurable results. In this role, I want to help clients navigate the ever-evolving digital landscape and position them for success in their marketing and PR endeavors.
To learn more about how Zer0 to 5ive’s team can help your company, visit our PR and social media page, or drop us a line.
Unlock the Power of AI: 3 Ways PR Professionals Are Supercharging Their Workflows with Generative AI ToolsBy Lindsay Hull
Generative AI tools, like ChatGPT, have been all the rage this year. In fact, ChatGPT is on track to surpass 100 million monthly active users, according to data. For PR professionals, generative AI tools hold tremendous opportunities. In this blog post, we will explore a few ways that PR pros can utilize generative AI to enhance and improve productivity.
1. Idea and Brainstorming Partner
Generative AI tools provide a unique opportunity for PR professionals, who can use AI as a virtual brainstorming partner. By inputting a topic or challenge, these tools can generate ideas and suggest fresh angles and concepts that could potentially fuel creative thinking during brainstorming sessions. Plus, as AI is constantly improving, the quality of its output is ever-increasing – meaning that in the future it will be able to offer even more original suggestions.
2. Making Content Generation More Efficient
Generative AI tools can be used to create compelling content for blog posts, social media posts, and more. Through using these tools, PR professionals can provide prompts and generate drafts, headlines, or creative ideas that can then be refined and polished. The use of generative AI allows for a more efficient process when creating content for multiple platforms and various audiences.
3. Easily Craft Key Messages
Generative AI tools can be used by PR pros to quickly create talking points and key messages. By providing the necessary data and context, these tools can generate starting points that can then be adjusted and customized. This allows PR professionals to quickly produce content that is creative, unique, and tailored to the specific needs of their clients; all without needing to spend time creating copy from scratch.
Important Note
It is essential to remember that generative AI tools are not foolproof, and any content generated must be edited carefully to best suit the requirements of your client, as well as reworked to ensure you are not rehashing someone else’s content. An MIT Technology Review article recently quoted an expert saying “they (ChatGPT) are predictive systems that are generating the most likely words, given your question and everything they’ve been trained on.” It is important to take the time to go over the output thoroughly, ensuring that it meets expectations and accurately conveys a client’s message. Additionally, it is critical to remember that automated content generation should never replace manual effort; a human touch and careful review is required to ensure the best output. PR professionals should be providing the strategy. We should not be using AI content at face value, but rather as a starting point for our own creativity.
Leveraging the Latest Tools to Stay Ahead of the Curve
Generative AI tools have opened up a world of possibilities for PR professionals. From utilizing them as idea generation partners to making content generation more efficient, Generative AI tools are arguably some of the most powerful tools available to assist with strategic PR efforts. We should all be looking for ways we can use this type of technology to stay ahead of the curve.
What are some other implementations of AI in your daily work that you are finding useful?
0to5 Media Moments: June 2023By Maggie Markert
While journalists and clients go on vacation throughout the summer and there are a number of big holidays that fall throughout, it doesn’t mean the news cycle ends. And, that means public relations programs should continue full steam ahead.
This summer, the Zer0 to 5ive team has remained steadfast. We have carried on our normal activities – from pitching thought leadership pieces to securing top-tier interviews for clients – and will continue to do so throughout the summer.
Take a look at some of the team’s placements from June.
The Wall Street Journal for CENTEGIX
Journalists in the education space often use summer as a time to reflect and write about important, broader topics that impact the industry as a whole.
An article from The Wall Street Journal, which includes our client CENTEGIX, showcases that. The Zer0 to 5ive PR team worked directly with the author of this piece to set up a conversation with CENTEGIX CEO Brent Cobb, who shared more detail about how the company’s technology is used to help protect school staff during crisis incidents. Read the article here.
IEEE Spectrum for Sony AI
Lead times for coverage can vary from just a couple of hours, to a few weeks, and sometimes even a year. This all depends on the media outlet’s processes and editorial focus, and other factors in the news cycle. For a recent piece of coverage on behalf of Sony AI, the Zer0 to 5ive PR team worked with IEEE Spectrum for a year – from July 2022 to June 2023. The piece evolved from a contributed article to a compelling photo essay by Peter Stone, Sony AI America’s Executive Director, that was featured in both print and online. Read the article here.
District Administration for IMSE
The summer months offer a great backdrop for contributed thought leadership pieces like op-eds, bylines, or guest blog posts. Editorial teams often have folks on vacation, attending conferences, or just looking for new and interesting points of view.
As part of building IMSE’s thought leadership and voice around the importance of evidence-based reading approaches anchored in the Science of Reading, the Zer0 to 5ive team offered District Administration an op-ed from Jeanne Jeup, Founder and CEO of the Institute of Multi-Sensory Education (IMSE). This piece made a strong call for schools and districts to train their teachers in methods that work for all students to help them learn how to read, piquing the interest for the outlet’s editorial team. Read the article here.
The Redefining Society Podcast with Marco Ciappelli for Qmulos
As mentioned earlier in this blog post, the news cycle does not stop just because it’s summer. There are always current events that enable a client’s bench of subject matter experts to provide thoughtful commentary.
Leveraging the SEC’s recent news on the largest ever whistleblower award, the Zer0 to 5ive team secured an interview with Marco Ciappelli for Igor Volovich, VP of Compliance Strategy at Qmulos. Igor spoke with Marco for the Redefining Society Podcast, discussing this recent news, as well as what it means for the future of cyber compliance. Listen to the episode here.
Education Talk Radio for Territorium
Another example of how the news cycle and current events don’t stop during the seemingly slower summer months is Territorium’s recent episode on Education Talk Radio.
Dr. Keith Look, VP of Education Solutions at Territorium, participated in a conversation with host Larry Jacobs to discuss a recent report that revealed Americans are beginning to shift their priorities for K-12 education – prioritizing the development of practical skills over college preparedness. He also shared details on the company’s work with the Young People’s Project to support academic and social development. Listen to the episode here.
To learn more about how Zer0 to 5ive can help drive visibility and industry leadership for your company drop us a line.
Celebrating Social Media Day: A QA with Zer0 to 5ive Director of Social Media Andie LevineBy Sydney Peterson
Andie Levine, Director of Social Media
1. What types of social media campaigns have you worked on at 0to5?
There have been a few exciting campaigns I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of. In 2021, I helped Sony AI announce Gran Turismo Sophy, their breakthrough AI agent, which started with a series of cryptic posts hinting at a big announcement on the way. Across all channels, the organic campaign generated 650K social media impressions, 15K link clicks, and 2.2K new followers in a week.
In addition to global announcements, I’ve helped companies establish their presence at industry conferences, accelerate recruitment efforts, launch new products and services, and participate in national awareness days.
2. What is your favorite part about working in social media?
There are general best practices to follow, but there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” strategy that can be applied to each client – which is my favorite part about working in social media! Each organization that comes to 0to5 for social media support has a unique set of goals it is working to achieve through its social media presence. Our job is to find creative ways to meet those goals that resonate with their target audience.
Social media also keeps you on your toes. There are new platform updates weekly, and understanding how each new feature works is essential. It is mentally stimulating, and there is no shortage of new things to learn!
3. What are some brands or campaigns that you admire?
There are so many great B2C brands out there that – rightfully so – get a lot of attention for their fun and often-viral content. However, there’s a misconception that B2B companies can’t also have fun and creative social media. A few great examples I like to point to are: Salesforce, IBM, and Gartner.
4. How do you think social media has evolved since you started your career?
The technological advancements, even in just the past year, are impressive. There are more ways to share content than ever before, which has led to more opportunities for impressions, engagement, leads, etc., which is exciting but also easy to get caught up on. But as much as it has evolved, its ethos has remained the same. At the heart of social media, being transparent and offering value to your audience works.
5. Where do you see social media going in the next few years? What trends are you excited about?
I like that social media is becoming more accessible and conversational for B2B organizations. In the beginning, many felt that their online presence needed to be super polished and sterile – and for some industries, this resonates with their audiences! – but now, they are more willing to lean into “being real.” I’m glad to see companies ditch stock photography in favor of images of their real employees or customers. Even a quick photo snapped on an iPhone is better received than a stock photo.
6. What is your advice for creating more engaging social media content?
If you’re struggling with engagement on social media, you’re likely not sending the right messages to your audience. Start by clearly identifying your top two to three audiences. You should already have a good idea of who your buyer personas are through research, surveys, and customer pain points. After identifying their key challenges, develop content around how your organization can help address them.
7. What are some great resources or blogs to follow for someone who wants to accelerate their career in social media management?
I’m a big fan of Hootsuite. Not only do we use their platform here at 0to5, but I highly recommend their webinars to anyone interested in staying on top of the latest and greatest social media trends. What’s more, the great thing about social media is that you don’t need a client to show off your skills! Your channels can serve as a case study for your ability to create professional, engaging content.
8. What does being Zer0 to 5ive’s Director of Social Media mean to you?
Zer0 to 5ive has a remarkable depth and breadth of expertise and talent, making us a valued partner for organizations building a brand and market presence. As Director of Social Media, I get excited to work with organizations ready to take their social media to the next level: whether this means revamping existing accounts or creating them for the first time.
Social media is sometimes easy for companies to overlook. After working with 0to5, I hope our clients can see the value in creating impactful social media strategies that drive brand growth, engage audiences, and deliver measurable results. In this role, I want to help clients navigate the ever-evolving digital landscape and position them for success in their marketing and PR endeavors.
To learn more about how Zer0 to 5ive’s team can help your company, visit our PR and social media page, or drop us a line.
Developing a PR Plan: 4 Elements To Take Into ConsiderationBy Sydney Peterson
According to research by PRovoke Media, the PR industry grew by nearly 11% in 2021. Public relations can be powerful for your organization if you use PR to its full advantage. A strong and well-implemented PR strategy can help increase visibility and awareness and build trust and credibility with your key audiences.
Whether you want to improve your business’s PR efforts or hope to get started, one of your first steps in moving forward will be drafting a PR plan. To prepare a PR plan to set your organization up for success, it is essential to consider these four elements.
1. Know Your Brand
Deeply knowing your brand is the first important step in your PR plan. Your brand must be consistent through your website, social media, marketing, and any other external messaging. Your brand is everything about the business: who you are, what you do, how you look, and who you appeal to. If your brand’s image doesn’t match the mission you want your organization to represent, now is the time to change it. It is never too late to give your brand a refresh. If you are already content with your brand, then your PR plan can focus on other areas. In this case, ensure your newly drafted plan aligns with your current brand.
2. Know Your Target Audience
Now, who do you want to appeal to? Who is your existing audience? When evaluating your target audience, you should first ask these questions. If you aren’t seeing the results you hoped for with your business, reassess whose attention you’re grabbing. For example, you should consider which media outlets your target audience would follow and strategically target those outlets to reach your audience. After cross-referencing your current audience and your target audience, make a list of who you’re missing. Then, you are ready to draft a strategic PR plan to reach your target audience.
3. Know Your Goals
When outlining your objectives and strategy, remember to keep the big picture in mind. When defining your goals, it can be beneficial to include input from different people at the organization. Employees from different departments, positions, and backgrounds can offer unique perspectives that can help inform your strategy and make it stronger.
4. Know How You Will Measure and Track Results
As we all know, there is always room for improvement in both business and personal life. There is no time like the present to assess performance benchmarks and identify critical metrics for your organization. Measurement is vital for understanding where to focus going forward. It helps to be selective when choosing targets for improvement to ensure a high achievement rate in these areas.
Once the plan has been developed with input from across the organization, you will be set up for success to begin implementing your strategy and, using PR to improve your brand’s standing in the marketplace. This will allow you to utilize the power offered by a strong PR strategy.
0to5 Media Moments: May 2023By Maggie Markert
Public relations is all about awareness. That’s a no-brainer.
As public relations professionals, we are continuously working to generate awareness and visibility for our clients. But, any good professional knows that this job requires having complete awareness of not only clients’ public relations goals but having a complete understanding of their internal marketing and sales initiatives, industries, competitors, as well as happenings in the world overall.
This requires a lot of work behind the scenes – from connecting with clients regularly on topics much broader than public relations, to reading Twitter and LinkedIn, to catching up on news in dozens of newsletters or on TV each morning. While this work takes time, it is 100 percent worth it.
Take a look at some of the Zer0 to 5ive team’s recent placements in May that stem from this work.
U.S. News & World Report for YouScience
Being in sync with your client’s marketing team and activities can play a crucial role in public relations work. By understanding clients’ event and trade show schedules and, staying up to date on who recently downloaded their research and reports, public relations professionals can learn from and leverage a lot.
A great example of this is the Zer0 to 5ive team’s work with YouScience. The YouScience team had shared a notable download they had seen on a piece of research they conducted and placed on their website. It just so happened that this download came from a reporter with U.S. News & World Report, a key target for the company’s work. Armed with this information, the Zer0 to 5ive team was able to reach out directly to the reporter with a tailored and relevant pitch to secure an interview for YouScience’s CEO Edson Barton. Read the article here.
Forbes for Nauto
There are thousands of journalists out there, and they each have a specific beat. Being able to take what you know about a client and translate it into a storyline that fits a specific journalist’s beat is critical.
A recent piece of coverage for Nauto demonstrates this. The Zer0 to 5ive team identified a media target at Forbes and was able to develop a particular pitch that was tailored to this target’s beat that specifically focused on CEOs. That pitch combined the deep knowledge and experience of Stefan Heck, CEO of Nauto, and the company’s unique value proposition to garner interest from the journalist. Read the article here.
Federal News Network’s Federal Drive Podcast for Qmulos
Understanding the media landscape doesn’t just include knowing which journalists are with certain outlets, but it also extends to the research some outlets may conduct. This research is important as it has the potential to be relevant to a client’s story and other media outlets.
Working with Qmulos, the Zer0 to 5ive team was able to leverage industry cybersecurity research from Insider to craft a tailored pitch to Federal News Network’s Federal Drive podcast. This pitch offered Igor Volovich, VP of Compliance Strategy for Qmulos, to discuss the risks of non-disclosure of a breach, and the need for continuous compliance and compliance automation. Listen to the podcast here.
ITPro Today for Onymos
Another aspect of the media landscape also includes understanding what kind of content and story ideas each outlet accepts. It is key to know who accepts original research, contributed articles, product news, and more.
A recent piece of coverage for Onymos exemplifies this. In advance of the company’s release of new research in the application development space, Zer0 to 5ive identified top target outlets and contacts that would be a fit for the findings. This background research resulted in an interview for Onymos CEO Shiva Nathan and a feature on the research findings. Read the article here.
The Main Course Podcast for Chatmeter
Similarly to some of the examples mentioned above, there is no better way to get a client coverage than by knowing exactly what it will take to get into a certain outlet or build a relationship with a particular journalist. Showcasing this knowledge in pitches is paramount to gaining the trust of a journalist and ultimately interest in the client you are reaching out about.
The Zer0 to 5ive team employed this tactic to secure a podcast interview opportunity for Chatmeter. A strategic, tailored pitch was developed for the podcast around how online restaurants can maximize customer experience by leveraging data and learnings taken from online reviews. It resulted in an interview for Cynthia Sener, Chatmeter GTM President. Listen to the podcast here.
To learn more about how Zer0 to 5ive’s public relations team can help your company, visit our PR page or drop us a line.