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In his memoir, Will Smith writes about how hard he promotes his movies. Claiming that while many actors hate traveling globally for film premiers and handling press and promotions, he utilizes this as an opportunity to amplify his brand and become the biggest movie star. In the memoir, he states that by traveling to different countries for his movie premiers, he has been able to increase box office sales consistently and have positive ROI for film and production companies.
As I was reading this, I kept thinking to myself how much, as a marketer, I can relate. Getting PR for a startup is like going live with a new movie. The thing is, there are other competitors getting PR as well. Not to mention that the news cycle is ever so dynamic. In the modern tech PR landscape, it is not only about getting PR but also knowing how to amplify it effectively.
Here are five ways you can effectively amplify your earned media efforts.
1. Forums like Reddit, IndieHackers and Hackernews
By utilizing targeted forums like Reddit, Indie hackers and Hacker News, you can share your PR coverage link to a targeted group of people who are active in your industry or niche. Just by doing that, you’ll be able to increase traffic to your story while still making sure you’re hitting a relevant audience. To do this effectively, you should do extensive subreddit research on Reddit to figure out what kind of communities are most relevant.
Related: 9 Public-Relations and Digital-Marketing Trends for 2022
Distributing PR with paid ads
This is my favorite media amplification strategy. Yes, you’ll need an additional budget for this, but it is worth it if done correctly. If you are a B2B company, you can utilize LinkedIn Ads to showcase your PR coverage to specific job titles in specific companies, as LinkedIn ads offer precise and accurate targeting. If you are a B2C brand, you can utilize Facebook ads and Instagram ads, as well as Twitter ads, to showcase your media coverage to a relevant audience that is interested in your solution.
Native ads
Using platforms like Tabula and Outbrain, you can amplify your media coverage by having it as a content recommendation on leading news sites. Because native advertising is more broad in a sense, I would advise you to pay extra attention to what the targeting is like and make sure you are showcasing your brand to a relevant high-profile audience without seeming spammy.
Related: What Van Halen Can Teach You About Public Relations
Content curation
Content creation platforms are an excellent way to showcase your content to a larger audience. These platforms can assist in content going viral. There are also content syndication platforms that will automatically grab your media coverage if it fits their specific audience.
Organic social media
I know it should seem obvious that you need to share your hard-earned media coverage across all of your social profiles. But, you also need to understand how to optimize your distribution plan. Using Twitter threads, Instagram stories, and LinkedIn and Facebook posts, you will be in a better position to drive visitors to your media coverage. Doing it strategically while timing your social media distribution and letting your employees be involved can help drastically improve the organic reach of your social media posts, hence creating more traction for your media coverage.
Another bonus tip is to have an “in the news” section on your website. This is very beneficial for SEO and provides an evergreen flow of visitors to your media coverage. This also increases the trust your clients and prospects have in you when they know you have been featured in leading media publications.