Getting a news hit is just the start — amplifying it across paid, owned and earned channels is what drives lasting impact. This blog emphasizes the importance of planning ahead and using a thoughtful, people-centered strategy to extend your reach, deepen engagement and turn one headline into long-term value.
As public relations professionals, we understand securing a positive news story is just the first step in getting your message out to the public. What is often overlooked is the next step: How can you continue the momentum to maximize impact and elevate the conversation?
Back in the day when you got a big news hit, you might have ordered extra newspapers and sent them to all of your executives. Then, maybe you even shared the news on your Facebook page. But today, PR folks have a wealth of tools and platforms at their disposal to gain more awareness and enhance their message.
To make the most of these tools, it helps to start with a few proactive moves so you’re ready as soon as you get that news hit.
Understand the basics
Before crafting your public relations strategy to amplify your content, start by considering three core concepts:
- Paid media: The channels and messages your organization pays to share (TV and radio ads, print production, influencer marketing and digital advertising)
- Owned media: The channels your organization owns and controls (your company’s website, blog, newsletters, intranet and branded social channels)
- Earned media: The platforms and messages your organization hopes to shape but ultimately cannot control (traditional media and word of mouth like mentions, shares, reviews and comments)
Combined, paid, owned and earned media amplify your message, build credibility and drive engagement across channels. More specifically, paid media drives traffic to owned media, which reinforces the story told in earned media, which solidifies the kind of trust that fuels engagement.
Build a proactive plan
Once you understand the lay of the land, it’s time to build a thorough, actionable plan.
Executing a robust media relations program and securing news coverage is a lot of work, which is why it’s critical to make a plan before the news hits. You can create an amplification plan as you’re finalizing your media relations strategy and press materials. Think about some of the more likely “what-ifs” and be ready to capitalize on your coverage and integrate wins into the broader public relations strategy.
Engage your employees
When news hits and it’s time to amplify, loop in the people who matter most.
Employees are the backbone of your organization. Sharing positive news with the people who make it happen increases morale and generates loyalty for your organization. Once you get the headline:
- Prioritize: Share the news with your employees and key partners first through owned channels, such as your intranet or social channels.
- Recognize: Highlight their contributions to the achievement. Whether through product innovation, charitable giving or financial performance, many people at your organization have played a hand in getting you where you are today.
- Encourage: Provide guidance on how your team can share their pride with others. We all know algorithms have changed, and content is more engaging when shared from a friend or connection.
Take it outside
Turn up the volume on owned channels by:
- Leveraging your external owned channels, including your website, corporate/executive blog and social platforms.
- Talking to your digital marketing team, agency or one-person band about identifying key terms and appropriate hyperlinks that could improve SEO and land your news hit even higher up the Google search page.
- Customizing the copy to reflect the tone and personality of each channel and audience.
Expand thought leadership with your news
Earned media coverage elevates your company’s credibility in your industry. A positive news story presents an opportunity for your company to develop more content around the topic. This additional content could include company blog posts or executive LinkedIn posts that will not only increase conversation around the topic, but also reinforce your position in the field and enhance your online profile.
Amplify your earned media
Say you won an award or received recognition for an outstanding achievement. Consider refreshing your company’s online banner ads with the updated award or boosting social media posts to encourage more online awareness and engagement. These opportunities help enhance the content you worked so hard to earn.
Ultimately, securing a news hit is only the tip of the iceberg. Amplifying your message across multiple channels is the foundation beneath the surface.
PR is about more than occasional media hits. Ready to build a solid strategy? Email us at info@kwicomm.com.
