Comms teams are engaged in an ongoing struggle to explain what they do and why it matters to the business. The problem, ironically, lies with the focus on coverage, to the detriment of everything else.
We’ve seen thousands of successful Comms updates, and here’s what we’ve learned:
Curate coverage
Curating the best coverage and parking the rest is key. Only by reducing the volume of scans and screenshots will the other key information have a chance to be seen (more about this in another post: The importance of coverage curation).
Include valuable content
The Comms function is unique in its ability to craft copy that will appeal to influencers and produce content that will captivate audiences. Simply including a key press release alongside photography and/or video content will, for the first time, show how the magic happens.
Provide the all-important context
A clear and concise introduction, or Executive Summary, aimed at those who may not have an innate understanding of PR is the first and most important step in helping the business understand why Comms matters.
In addition, there’s plenty more that can be done to engender that ‘ah-ha’ moment:
- Augment curated coverage with more than just circulation figures. Briefly explain how each piece relates to the goals of the business, and pull out key quotes
- When including press releases, photography or video, provide a brief explanation as to what they contain and how they were used
- Move away from vanity metrics and present facts and figures that are genuinely meaningful to people who don’t appreciate the benefit of a few extra followers
In summary – by focusing on quality over quantity of coverage, and scaling up the content and context, Comms teams can finally showcase their work in a way that makes sense to anyone, regardless of their level of PR expertise.
