PR professionals spend numerous time trying to find a media pleasant story. Reporters have an more and more excessive bar and never each story, quote or perception will make the ultimate minimize.
However what occurs to the tales left on the chopping room flooring? Or the thought management pitches you despatched out to some dozen journalists however no one bit? What occurs to initiatives your staff is happy with, however you’d by no means flag for a reporter: the detailed whitepapers, that superior award nomination you didn’t win or a stellar buyer evaluation that popped up in your consumer’s Yelp web page?
It’s simple to push these to the aspect as not invaluable for media, however this land of misfit tales could be a treasure trove of belongings that may be decreased, reframed or repurposed for brand new audiences. One type of storytelling isn’t going to work for all your consumer’s audiences, however you may be shocked at how broadly your current belongings can develop past your unique channel:
Repurpose your content material: Whereas there are many alternatives to republish an current piece of content material on a secondary channel — assume utilizing your exec quote in a press launch and a publish on the company Twitter — repurposing an asset or story to a brand new viewers could require some creativity. Take into consideration your consumer’s final supposed viewers. Are you concentrating on tech media to get in entrance of potential buyers or commerce journals since you’re desperately making an attempt to rent engineers?
Earned media is much from the one option to goal these end-audiences, so attempt to play matchmaker between your arsenal of content material and supply data that’s invaluable to your key audiences. If in case you have a case examine or optimistic evaluation of your enterprise services or products, share it with potential prospects which are purchasing round for a most popular vendor. If in case you have a proprietary knowledge level that sheds mild right into a market want, supply it to your buyers or analysts as a proof level. Not every bit of data goes to resonate along with your viewers, so it’s all about digging round for, and amplifying those that may.
Cut back (or develop) your size: Acquired a pitch that didn’t land or an award nomination that didn’t win? How ‘bout a cool stat with no context or visible that solely tells half the story?
PR professionals do our greatest to be succinct, however a two-paragraph pitch received’t match inside Twitter’s character rely. In case your asset is simply too lengthy to be helpful on one other channel, determine the few pithy phrases or a pull-out sentence that may reel in a brand new viewers to be taught extra. Alternatively, in case your unique content material is lacking key context, strive asking your exec for his or her opinion or colour commentary to pair with a key stat and weave that right into a weblog publish or have or not it’s the premise of your subsequent talking nomination.
Reframe your format: Do you have got back-of-the-envelope notes that you just wove right into a pitch or a superbly designed report? As soon as a chunk of content material has served its unique function, think about what new life it could lead on in a completely completely different or sudden format.
Synthesize your 45 web page educational whitepaper right into a 30-second TikTok video. Flip your checklist of stats into an exquisite infographic. Flip that hilarious zinger your exec gave of their final media interview into the theme in your subsequent all-hands inner assembly. In case you haven’t seen it, take a look at the perfect instance of creativity in format that I’ve ever seen: Expensify’s video to announce its intent to go public. Speak about cross-channel!
A ultimate notice: Invite your pals from advertising and marketing. PR professionals are consultants at figuring out pithy and related data for journalists, however typically have a blind spot with regards to owned or paid channels. Think about your advertising and marketing staff an extra asset in your arsenal that may supply new concepts, views and alternatives.
Katherine Grubaugh is a vice chairman with Methodology Communications.
