Brand communication strategies and storytelling rely heavily on public relations. With the mediascape and evolution of new technology continually shifting the goalposts, it’s crucial to keep up with these changes to ensure your message reaches the desired audience.
Implementing the right public relations tactics early on can make the difference between a campaign that fizzles out or one that achieves lasting impact. The choice of tactics is important in building positive public perceptions and ensuring the success of any campaign.
In this article, we lift the lid on 27 actionable PR tactics designed to enhance the effectiveness of public relations, adaptable to any industry or audience. No matter the kind of brand, these tactics are sure to help create impactful and memorable campaigns and meet your business goals.
What are PR tactics?
Goals. Tactics. Strategies. It can all get confusing. What’s the difference? The word 'strategy' can get overused in business and be used interchangeably with 'tactics' and 'goals.' But very often, what they will be describing will be a tactic.
PR Tactics are the specific actions or techniques that a PR professional uses when carrying out or implementing a particular PR strategy.
Obviously, your tactics will vary depending on the PR campaign's goals and who the target audience is, but all have the same purpose: to acquire media exposure, shape public opinion, and build a positive reputation in the minds of your audience.
How PR tactics can transform your PR strategy
High-impact public relations tactics make a difference if you want your message to not just be seen and heard, but also trusted. Choosing the right tactic allows you to move with changing PR trends and reach those engaged, high-intent audiences.
Each tactic has its own place in building a much stronger relationship with key stakeholders to drive campaign success. For instance, media pitching enables a brand to speak directly to journalists and get media coverage. Tactics such as newsjacking give you relevance alongside real-time events and trigger a buzz.
It is important to note that there is a difference between PR tactics and PR strategies.
PR tactics refer to doable steps, such as press releases or influencer partnerships, whereas PR strategy refers to the umbrella strategy that will guide each of the aspects cited above.
The strategy defines the goals and the long-term vision, while the tactics become the means to realize those goals. If the goal is the destination, and the strategy is the road, then the tactics are the vehicles to get there.
Improve your PR with simple, proven tactics
27 PR tactics that work
Whether it’s about building brand visibility or attaining media coverage for a new product launch, companies must play the right moves to engage the right audience. Ready to shake up your PR strategy? Here, we go over 27 actionable public relations tactics that will give your campaign a boost while helping you build strong media relationships with long-lasting impact.
Media pitching
This tactic involves sending personalized messages to journalists in the hope that they’ll listen and give your brand exposure with an article or piece. The message should be tailored to the journalist's beat, and with a unique angle to catch their eye. Successful media pitches are also known as earned media and it builds credibility. Don't forget to follow up professionally and keep good relationships with reporters.
Learn more about media pitching
Press releases
This PR staple helps brands communicate official news or announcements to vast audiences. Competition is fierce, so it goes without saying it must stand out.
A well-crafted press release should still be your weapon of choice for sharing newsworthy updates.
With a press release, you get to control the narrative. Use the story to drive social media promotion, too.
Learn more about press releases
Newsjacking
Newsjacking places your brand amongst a trending news story.
The idea is to leverage media attention by offering humorous or insightful commentary based on that news.
You need to engage with a story that shows your brand's values or draws attention to a service you provide and be timely. Done rightly, you can position your brand as relevant, boosting visibility and authority.
Influencer partnerships
With this tactic, the key lies in authenticity. Successful influencer partnerships will create trust and increase customer loyalty. Influencers have built up devoted audiences, but you need to choose those who provide a natural fit and will represent your brand and communicate its message in a way that appeals to their audience, and yours.
Social media PR
Social media PR provides a direct line to a loyal and engaged audience, where vast numbers of people will see what you say.
Whether you are launching a campaign, promoting a series of products, or crisis management, social media will amplify your message.
There are downsides, however. You'll need to monitor and respond to negative comments and there is always the risk of putting your foot wrong. Many companies have people whose role involves just this.
Learn more about social media PR
Podcasts
An ideal platform for reaching niche audiences, PR professionals can pitch their clients to podcasts as guests or even have their own regular podcast where they can share insights or interesting new ideas.
Podcasts offer an intimate, conversational atmosphere, positioning an exec as a thought leader.
Thought leadership
Positioning your executives as experts helps paint them as a valuable resource within your industry. Great thought leadership articles can stake their claim in industry journals or take their place within company blogs.
Please make what you want to say meaningful and original and back it up with evidence that makes your brand the definitive authority in its space.
Learn more about the role of thought leadership in PR
Evergreen content
Evergreen content is informative, quality material that remains relevant well after publication. Examples include how-to guides, industry glossaries, or case studies.
These posts yield consistent traffic and authority and serve the added benefit of being repurposable over multichannels. We recommend you invest in this.
Crisis communications
Hopefully, this is a tactic you never have to use, but every brand has a different set of challenges to face, and it's wishful thinking to think it won't ever happen to you. The tactic of crisis communication prepares for any potential PR nightmares.
A clear and well-thought-out crisis plan minimizes damage to your hard-earned reputation.
A comprehensive crisis communication plan should include key messaging, designated spokespeople, and a step-by-step guide for media interactions.
Learn more about crisis communications
Media training
Executives are often the face of the company, so it's sensible to get them well-prepared for any impending media attention. Being confident in the workplace doesn't always mean confidence in front of a media interviewer. Media training helps tighten messaging, control body language, and handle those awkward questions. It's not just what you say but how you say it. As a PR tactic, media training helps your brand message shine through.
Learn more about media training
Guest blogging
Guest blogging helps you tap into the host site's audience and helps build your backlinks, boost SEO performance, and earn more credibility. When it comes to contributions, aim for informative over promotional.
Another tip is to ditch the low-authority blogs for more authoritative ones and pick those with high reader engagement. It's about quality over quantity.
Engagement marketing (or experiential)
Pop-up shops and interactive installations are great examples of this in action. They mix public relations with in-person events to create an immersive experience. They can get people to participate hands-on, and this invites them to share on social media platforms, further amplifying their reach.
Storytelling
Everyone loves a good story. Storytelling hits people on a more emotive level. Rather than promoting products, it's about telling the stories of your brand, team, or customers.
This might come from blog posts, interviews, and video content, but allowing firms to speak to audiences on a deeper level makes your PR campaigns that much more relatable and impactful.
Learn more link about the role of storytelling in PR
Publicity stunts
Publicity stunts are a high-risk, high-reward PR tactic designed to surprise people. From flash mobs to large installations, successful stunts are memorable and newsworthy, spurring viral content and online mentions. Just ensure the stunt resonates with your brand identity because poorly run publicity stunts could harm your reputation. Tip: It’s often best to work with a PR agency here.
Learn more about publicity stunts
Collaborations
Co-branded campaigns are a fusion between two brands, where each can benefit from the other's customer base and leverage the other's strengths and credibility to deliver a stronger message. By building partnerships with complementary brands, you can tap into new audiences and create some very exciting PR opportunities.
Corporate social responsibility
These days, CSR campaigns often get featured in the media, especially with the right storytelling that gets everyone on board. Consumers are more supportive and loyal to brands that align with causes that match their beliefs, which can firmly demonstrate that they're about more than just their bottom line.
Industry award nomination
Whether you win or not, an award nomination is a powerful tool to enhance visibility and position yourself as a leader.
The recognition identifies your brand from a sea of competition. The smart thing to do is make the most out of it. Create an awards announcement press release to add weight to media pitches, PR stories and website content for extra effect.
Brand journalism
This tactic refers to creating "news-style" content that tells a story about your company, its values, and the difference it makes. Airbnb is a great example. It regularly shares stories that incorporate its mission and values with journalistic tactics. In building your platform, you get to share stories that the media might not otherwise cover while having control of the narrative you share and how it's presented, a powerful weapon in your owned media arsenal.
Employee advocacy
Your employees can be your biggest ambassadors. By encouraging employees to share company news, successes, and content on their social media, you can organically extend your brand's reach. People will often engage more with content shared by individuals over brands. It feels more genuine.
Equipping your team with sharable content and incentivizing them to go ahead and share is a great PR campaign tactic.
Community outreach
Often part of an environmental, social and governance strategy, building strong relationships with the local community can draw interest in your brand, nurture productive relationships, and improve your brand's reputation. When conducting this outreach, consider multi-channel use.
Relationship building through several channels will make the outreach far more effective and distinguish you from the rest.
Email newsletters
Ignore the naysayers. E-newsletters are still one of the most effective and creative PR tactics as they allow firms to reach their audience on a regular basis. Share your company news, media coverage, or upcoming events in aesthetically pleasing newsletters. Make sure that the subject line is punchy, engaging, and straight to the point. You want your audience to actually open the newsletter and engage with it. Effective branding and design can help your audience remember you.
Webinars
Webinars are among the most effective ways to engage and establish thought leadership with your audience. You can share valuable insight gleaned from your experience, and it is also a valuable chance to chat with your audience, answer their questions, and prove your expertise. With relevant topics and industry experts, look to create educational sessions that attract media and customer interest.
Webinars can also be repurposed into further content. Think blog posts, content marketing articles, video content, media pitches, and your company newsletter...You never know, if a journalist finds it useful or newsworthy, you may even get some mileage from it.
Data-driven PR
Data-driven PR relies on insights and analytics in everything from strategy development to optimization. Real-time metrics on everything from audience behavior and media coverage helps PR professionals create more targeted and impactful PR campaigns. Through data-driven PR, the best outlets for media outreach and audience reach are identified, leading to optimal resource planning and ROI.
Multimedia content
This tactic works particularly well with social media since most engagements on social platforms are visually driven.
Making your PR campaigns visually dynamic makes your message memorable and shareable, boosting overall campaign success.
Consumers turn to social media to research a brand, to read reviews, and to simply check if a brand (or company) is active or legitimate.
Case studies
Case studies build credibility and trust by highlighting certain client projects, problem-solving methodologies, and, most importantly, measurable results. They show, in detail, how real issues got solved. Case studies are among the most effective forms of social proof because they demonstrate a brand's real-world results and success. This gives media outlets concrete stories, increasing your chances for earned coverage.
Paid media
From sponsored content and search engine ads, paid media is about using paid advertising to promote a brand in b2c or b2b PR tactics . While earned media relies on organic coverage, with paid, the message will be put directly in front of a target audience. Combining paid media with organic efforts increases your reach, developing a better effect from your PR campaign tactics. This is a helpful tactic for supporting other PR strategies.
Original research
Data is interesting to journalists. Original research provides a compelling reason for journalists to do a story on a company and arms your team with unique content.
As a tactic, it works because it's something no one else can do. Although expensive and time consuming, it creates long-lasting visibility and authority in your industry, and the findings could be an important industry benchmark.
Conclusion
There is no one-size-fits-all approach in public relations. What works wonders for one company might not work for another, which is why an understanding of the right tactics is critical. The most successful PR campaigns are the ones that select the appropriate PR tactics. You must use the right tools for the right job, as they say.
Collaborating with an experienced PR agency can help direct your PR efforts on the best PR tactics and most suitable public relations tactics and those most likely to achieve the desired results. An agency will have experience in various industries and the ability to craft messaging to maximize impact and visibility.
