Ever wondered why certain companies seem to be in the news, and generally more visible online, than others?
It’s not always because they have more products to launch, research to reveal or exciting company updates. Often, it’s because they are good at filling the gaps between the ‘big’ stories with useful, timely information and expert opinion.
That does several things. It keeps the company on the radar of its target audience, but just as importantly, it keeps it on the radar of journalists, publishers and other relevant websites. Regularly sharing useful expertise can generate media coverage, brand mentions and valuable links back to your website, helping to build both your reputation and your visibility in organic search.
If journalists, writers and bloggers regularly hear from you with relevant, useful information, they are also more likely to think of you when they are planning their own features and looking for expert comment. Likewise, genuinely useful advice gives other websites a reason to reference, cite and link to your content.
If you only contact the media and other third parties when you have something to promote, the relationship can become rather one-way. Someone I used to work with called good media relations ‘itchy scratchy’, essentially, you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. Give journalists and publishers useful material that helps them do their job, rather than only getting in touch when you want something from them.
So, when the product launches, data and case studies have dried up, here are five words that can become your best friends:
Warns
‘Company X warns businesses about…’ immediately gives you a reason to talk about something happening in the wider world.
A warning doesn’t need to be alarmist. Perhaps regulations are changing, a deadline is approaching, the weather is creating a particular risk or you’re seeing customers repeatedly make the same mistake. Explain the issue, why it matters and, crucially, what people can do about it. You’re demonstrating expertise while providing genuinely useful advice and creating something that journalists and other websites may want to reference or link to.
Advises
‘Advises’ is perhaps the most versatile of the five. Think about what your company knows that its customers or target audience would benefit from knowing too.
This could be practical advice linked to the season, new legislation, economic conditions, changing consumer behaviour or something currently dominating the news agenda. The trick is to look beyond what is happening inside your own business and consider what is happening in your customers’ world. Then ask, ‘What would we advise them to do?’
Urges
‘Urges’ gives a story a little more impetus. You aren’t simply explaining an issue, you’re encouraging people to take action.
A company might urge homeowners to check something before winter, employers to review a policy following a change in legislation, or businesses to prepare ahead of an important deadline. It works particularly well when there is a clear reason to act now rather than at some unspecified point in the future.
Again, the focus should be on helping the audience, not shoehorning your product into the story. If the advice is genuinely useful, the coverage, mentions and links can follow naturally.
Welcomes
Not every story needs to tell people what they should be doing. Sometimes the opportunity is simply to have an informed opinion about something that has happened.