In any industry, 20% of companies dominate 80% of the business. In fact, it’s a well-known law called the Pareto principle, or the 80-20 rule, which posits that 80% of the effects of virtually any event come from only 20% of the causes.
What does that mean in PR terms? 20% of companies in an industry or geographic region hog 80% of available headlines.
So, what are these 20-percenters doing that makes them so successful at grabbing headlines, building buzz and owning customer mind-share? Better yet, what can you do to move your company (or nonprofit organization) from the bottom-dwelling 80% to the much-admired 20%?
For starters, here are 8 simple rules that might help you transform your company over time so that it’s top of mind and talked about by customers and competitors alike:
- Do Something: One big reason why so many companies (and nonprofits) fail get media attention is because they either don’t do anything to deserve the attention or they simply don’t bother telling the media about their accomplishments. So, rule number one has to be to actually do something worth reporting. Duh, right?!?
- Budget: Invest a dedicated amount to your PR effort. Don’t spend haphazardly on PR, or all at once in hopes of getting a quick uptick in sales leads or brand awareness. PR is a long-term investment which involves courting the media, continuously developing new story ideas and seizing opportunities to tie your company to breaking news trends.
- Plan Ahead: Your PR strategy should describe which media outlets you want to reach out to, short-term and long-term branding goals, key marketing messages, a list of publicity-generating activities to pursue, and more. Without a plan your PR activities will appear haphazard and diminish the viability of your brand strategy.
- Research: Figure out which media outlets have the greatest bang for your PR buck. Find trade journals, news magazines, TV shows, newspapers, radio shows, blogs and ezines that relate most directly to your business or non-profit organization. Knowing what media your customers and influencers consume means your messages will have a better chance of driving new revenue.
- Calendar: Create a media calendar that helps you remember when to pitch stories to the media. Don’t wait for news to happen to send out press releases and story pitches. Stick with a predetermined schedule of releases so that you consistently communicate with the media.
- Big Picture: Tie your story ideas to news trends of importance to your industry, town, region or even nationwide. That way you give reporters, editors and producers a way to use your company in context of a breaking news story. Don’t be shy about seeking quotes from notable experts to add import to your story. I once asked Ray Perryman, one of the world’s most influential economists, for a quote in a press release. He was only too happy to help, and it gave the press release a lot more gravity.
- Be Original: The media does not reward mediocrity. Strive for originality by looking for ways to produce information the media may find compelling enough to publish. Conduct an industry-specific poll, or one related to a topic where you have specific expertise. Share the results with the media and be sure to follow up to inform them of the poll’s purpose and results.
- Stay on Message: Decide what your key branding messages are and try not to deviate from them. You can be creative, as noted above, in how you package those messages. Your publicity-generating activities – research study, poll, customer party, annual convention, non-profit fundraiser – should always support your strategic business goals of revenue growth, brand awareness and customer satisfaction.
Want to be a 20% company or non-profit organization? Better get started today. The 20-percenters are already eating 80% of your lunch!
Incidentally, 100% of ALL questions and comments are welcome on this blog!
