4 Tips to Consider For Your 2022 Press Strategy

With the New Year upon us, that means the goals, plans, and actions you’re about to put into place should be at the forefront of your mind. Like anything new, it’s a time that offers up endless possibilities and the prospect for change, something those of us in the PR world know quite a bit about.

Public relations and the way in which we communicate is ever-changing. And as we look towards a new year in terms of business, it’s important to keep new and essential PR tools top of mind as they have the ability to make our outreach and engagement efforts easier and faster than ever before.  That’s not to say that the current successful strategies we’ve been using cannot be implemented into 2022. Like the saying goes, “If it isn’t broke don’t fix it,” but what we want to do is ever so slightly is tweak it.

When you consider what’s worked in the past, reflect on the accomplishments made in 2021 and consider how they can serve your clients moving forward. If you’ve found a particular strategy has worked, consider implementing it into your new plan. Reflecting on past wins will also serve as a reminder just what you’re capable of doing. A bolster to your confidence is a great way to put that extra pep in your step moving forward.  While the JMG PR team was planning out 2022, we wanted to share some tips we’ve come to rely on when breathing new life into our press strategies.

Find the sweet spot

Whatever new content you’re planning, you will want to ensure it’s in line with the brand’s overall mission. Trying to implement something new and possibility different that doesn’t make sense creatively just won’t work. It’s like trying to put a square peg in a round hole. That’s not to say you shouldn’t bring bold ideas to the planning table, just make sure they are aligned with your client’s goals. A quick check-in before you start planning can be a good way to gauge if their mission has changed, even if it’s ever so slightly.  

Harness the power of social media

With multiple platforms to choose from, it’s important to determine which ones will prove to be the most effective when trying to expand your reach and increase your influence. Keep the focus on creating experiences for your audience that they can relate to as well as engage with.

Taking the power of social media a step further, consider partnering with influencers and bloggers who have proven successful in helping other brands reach new audiences. Many of them have built up a large following of people who actively engage with their content and trust what they’re saying so why not tap into their audience, as well?

When we’re working to create new press strategies, widening the circle is always an important initiative. Many JMG PR clients are start-up companies and our goal is to help get them to the next level. These types of collaborations are another way to do that.

As you continue to create content for social media channels, think about how much you’re sharing across the various platforms and ensure that the weighting is biased towards your communication channels. That includes things like your website, email subscriber list, or newsletter. These are the channels you have control over so it makes sense to utilize them just as much as you would any other interactive platform.

Educate your audience and focus on thought-leadership 

We’ve found that the brands who take an educate and engage approach have a high success rate with their audience. Consider creating educational content that can be shared across multiple platforms. Keep in mind when creating new strategies that audiences want to be informed, they want to be taught. Instead of trying to “sell” to an audience, take the “educational” approach.

One of the great ways to do that is by establishing a thought leader who will help bolster the company’s reputation. A spokesperson from within, often a high-level employee who can help take content to the next level is the person you want to build up within the media. There are many benefits to having a thought leader within your sphere and when combined with other PR elements it creates a high impact for a business.

Conduct Research

When creating new strategies, even if they’re based on previous ones we’ve found successful, there’s still a good amount of research that should be conducted. Why? Because a good strategy is informed by research. It’s always a smart idea to check out what your competitors are doing, and more importantly, are they doing it better?  Having this type of information allows us to identify what changes, if any, need to be made.

Another tip to keep in mind, strategies are meant to be altered. That’s why they should be reviewed often in order to make the changes that best serve your client’s business.  As we head into 2022, JMG PR remains focused on the foundation of our business, and that is ensuring the strategic plans we put in place create a lasting impact for our clients.

When it comes to PR, there is no “one size fits all” approach to the way in which we accomplish our press strategies. As we are always learning and growing, we’d love to hear from you. What tips did you find helpful when planning your 2022 press strategies?