As we’re in the midst of celebrating our 18th birthday this month, we have collated our 18 top PR and social media tips which we’ve picked up over the years.

Top tips

1 – Don’t underestimate the power and importance of the press in an age of social media. Read newspapers, magazines, blogs, watch the news…be a media consumer.

2 – When you work in this industry, it can be difficult to switch off – particularly if you enjoy scrolling through social media in your own time. Be kind to yourself and only follow accounts that you genuinely enjoy, otherwise, you’ll constantly be ‘on’ and thinking of the next platform to discover/ news angle/ press comment/ social tactic etc.

3 – Familiarise yourself with a publication before you pitch to them – nothing wastes a journalist’s time more than a pitch which isn’t suited to their writing style or subject matter.

4 – Remember, PR is about relationships and the most important one is between you and your client. It has to be based on mutual trust and a genuine belief and interest in their products, services and a true appreciation of their business objectives. Get these key ingredients right and you’ve the strongest possible foundation for a strategic, rewarding and fulfilling partnership.

5 – If you’re setting up a PR consultancy only ever employ people who have the same values and work ethic as you. Although no-one can ever truly love or work on your business like you do, there are genuinely wonderful people out there who are only too happy to be part of your incredible story. Grab them… and look after them.

6 – If you’re developing a social media voice for yourself, remember to be authentic. Personality is everything when it comes to trust and engagement. If you want to make true connections, channel as much of yourself as you can into your communication… whatever ‘platform’ or means you are using.

7 – Ensure you are up-to-date with current news affairs, this is really important for social media comment and being reactive with press statements.

8 – Research hashtags for your content, this helps builds conversations with potential followers and increases engagement.

9 – Understand your target audience/ market, think to yourself is the tone of voice correct? Is the content actually appealing to my target audience.

10 – Don’t try to baffle or impress with industry jargon and buzzwords. Keep it simple. You need to get your message across as simply and quickly as possible.

11 – Be aware of timings! They’ll vary between dailies, weeklies and monthlies but show your journalist you understand how they work and have considered the best time to get in touch with them.

12 – Have fun! PR is such a rewarding career and you can’t beat the buzz when that coverage hits. You’ll get out what you put in so give it 100% and enjoy the coverage rolling in.

13 – Intro is everything. The first two lines in a press release usually determines whether people will be engaged or not – make it punchy, catchy and interesting… make the reader want to know more!

14 – Always use a visual aid when posting on social, whether it’s a video, graphic or picture – the engagement is always better

15 – Make sure to utilise clients’ key messages. This will help you with writing press releases and creating powerful social content

16 – If you’re attending a photo shoot, always create a brief beforehand. This way, you’ll have a clear idea of what your dream picture will be and should successfully achieve the ‘money shot’

17 – Reactive is golden – don’t underestimate it. Liking, retweeting and commenting on social is essential for increasing engagement and connecting with likeminded companies and individuals

18 – Always think outside the box. When brainstorming ideas for campaigns, the sky is the limit! Think big and get the creative juices flowing.

Want to find out more about our PR and social media services? Get in touch at hello@approachpr.com

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