Increasingly, savvy companies are turning to blogs to complement their communications arsenal of press releases, newsletters and client communications.
While blogging is certainly becoming more mainstream, it’s often still not the first consideration for businesses wanting to increase their online authority, build relationships with potential customers and raise awareness of their products and services.
Blogging is a powerful tool for communicating your business’ stories. And in essence, that’s what Public Relations – PR – is all about.
Communicating the stories of your business in a compelling way engages new audiences, builds relationships with existing customers and positions you as a thought-leader in your field. This is a powerful way to assist the growth of your business in the long term.
Why blogging needs to be a part of your PR strategy
Blogging is a great way for your company to become a digital publisher. Never before has there been a time where any business can publish their own content in a fast, efficient and cost-effective way.
Traditionally when a company had an announcement to make, they would use a press release via a newswire. Newswires still exist and have a place in your PR, but blogging is the newswire of the digital revolution.
Take control of your business’ narrative
How times have changed. With blogging as part of your PR strategy, you can take control of the narrative of your business and the culture and context where your business operates.
The ability to publish quickly and regularly is also a great way to build thought leadership and convey the key messages you want the public to know about your company.
There are many ways you can use blogging as part of your overall PR strategy. Some ways include:
- Announcing important company news to stakeholders, staff and customers.
- Advising customers and clients of changes to products and services.
- Establishing thought leadership through publishing original and cutting-edge content on a regular basis.
- Turning readers into viewers by publishing images and videos.
- Writing about the culture surrounding your products and services..
- Publishing deep, long-form content to showcase your expertise in your field
How to find PR content for your blog
The key here is to think like a reporter. You need to make sure you’re constantly on the lookout for newsworthy stories in your business as well as staying abreast of news items in the media that are related to your business. This way you can publish your own perspective and angle on emerging stories that are gathering traction.
So you can start to find interesting content in your business, consider some of the following:
- New products and services: Let your readers know about your upcoming new products and services. Announcing this to your blog readers before the general public knows also helps your readers feel special.
- Changes to your business culture: Are you experiencing any changes to the wider culture your business operates in? If so, comment on this to position yourself as a thought leader who is looking to the future.
- Hot topics in the news related to your business: Jump on the back of hot topics in the news so you can ride the wave of popularity. When a topic is hot, lots of people are searching for information on that topic, so make sure your blog post is being found in those searches.
- Changes to your industry: If you are seeing changes to your industry, or are privy to information about upcoming changes, show you’re on the cutting-edge of news by being one of the first to announce these changes.
- Behind-the-scenes: People love seeing the behind-the-scenes of a business. Think about what people and processes you can share on your blog so your readers feel closer to you and your business.
Public relations and blogging are a match made in heaven. Blogging is a powerful communication tool that makes you a digital publisher who can craft the stories and narrative about your business and culture. Don’t miss out on what blogging can do for the PR of your business.
Do you use blogging as a PR tool? If so, what results have you had? Share your comments below.
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Sydney Public Relations Agency, CP Communications provides specialist media, traditional and online PR strategies that get amazing results. Contact us today. For more great tips visit our website www.cpcommunications.com.au.
