Thoughts

Top 5 Public Relations Tips for Engaging With Finance Editors

1. Building Trust

Establish and cultivate relationships with editors by teeing up regular meetings, investing in functions and getting a foothold into online discussion panels and forums. Regular face-to-face contact and building trust is obviously the key, but clients also need to get a foothold into online avenues. Media relations training that covers print, broadcast and online platforms will help build client confidence for this work.

2. Go Digital

Where possible in all campaigns and media strategies, think digitally. Every print strategy should be synergised with a Web strategy – this requires a cultural shift. It is worth routinely adding an internet element to all campaign content because Web users like Gen Ys often don’t read print versions. Online and print consumers are virtually two separate audiences. It’s also important that online versions of copy are a fraction of the length of print versions – no more than 250 words per article.

This print/online synergy will help drive journalists and editors to websites and then engage them with value adds such as video casts, tweets, blogs and topical succinct e-newsletters. At the very least, every client communicaide should point prominently to their website. Websites need to be dynamic, fluid platforms that are ‘sticky’ – so they bring back editors again and again.

3. Customise Press Releases

Customise press releases/web links to your target audiences – do significant research/homework on selected editors’ publications/websites beforehand and customise individual press releases to their readers’ needs. This will require some groundwork but should improve ‘hit’ rates.

4. Tailored Research

Commission tailored research – polls and surveys by independent, respected research companies that cover topical issues with a substantial cohort of preferably at least 1000 respondents. This is perfect news fodder for editors covering the finance world.

5. Explore SMS Age

Capitalise on the SMS age and trial sending text messages to selected journalists/editors announcing news, offering reminders about upcoming events and even quotes for stories. Mainstream journalists are now starting to directly quote from mobile phone texts on a regular basis – routine use of this medium is inevitable and just another means of reaching editors efficiently with your clients’ messages when needed.