When a company has positive news, it’s important to share that news with its customer or client base. There are more options for sharing news than ever, and it’s crucial to know your brand, and to know the most effective way to disseminate news for that brand.
The news release is the time-tested method of getting news out to the media. In today’s world of social media, the news release may almost seem old fashioned, but it’s still just as relevant today as it’s ever been. News releases help establish credibility with your public. When other media outlets, from print to broadcast, use your news releases to create their own media pieces about your brand, they’re helping you promote your brand. For these reasons, it’s important to establish relationships with the media outlets that will cover your brand, and to refrain from hyperbole in your news releases. Promote your brand, but stick to the facts.
Social media is a different world altogether, and each social media platform excels in different areas. The key is to choose the appropriate outlet for each news item, and use the platforms most likely to reach the audience for your brand. You can link to journalistic content from media sources on social media, and you can also be more creative on social media.
If you’re promoting a new restaurant in a small chain, for example, you’ll want to promote the opening of that restaurant to traditional media through a news release. You will also want to push the news of the opening on social media. This may be an opportunity to show off the skills of a new chef on Instagram, or promote a personal interest story about the family who owns the restaurant.
There is no one way to use news to market a brand. That makes the work both exciting and challenging. We’d love to hear from you. How have you used traditional media or social media to market news about a product, person, or brand?
