We’ve all read those articles talking about sexy new startups doing exciting things that are going to change the world. But in reality, most brands aren’t developing new 3D printing technology or introducing game-changing software.
Let’s face it. A lot of brands are, well … boring.
Think about it. There are a lot of great small businesses out there that just don’t naturally lend themselves to big headlines or flashy features. An auto body repair shop may have a great reputation, but this doesn’t really excite the imagination like robots making pizza.
So how can you land press if you’ve got a boring brand?
Don’t lose hope. After all, if I’m going to be completely honest, most people don’t find what I do to be very exciting or sexy, either. But that hasn’t kept me from growing my copywriting business and becoming a fairly successful entrepreneur.
In reality, every brand can earn online press to grow their reputation and improve SEO rankings — and you don’t have to resort to sketchy tactics like pay-to-play PR to do it, either. Without further ado, here are some of the best ways you can create positive online press for your “boring” brand:
1) Targeted Blogging
Yep, to land press you’re probably going to have to do a fair bit of writing yourself — and blogging is a great way to start building a reputation so you can stand out from your competitors.
Your customers go online to look for information as part of their decision-making process. For example, the National Law Review reports that a whopping “96% of people seeking legal advice use a search engine.”
When people have a question, they don’t want to see an ad. They want to find information that will help them make a decision. If your blog is filled with relevant articles that answer customer questions, you’ll improve web traffic and increase customer loyalty. Well-written content could even land you PR links as others quote your blog or help you get guest posting opportunities.
Once you’ve mastered blogging on your own site, look for industry-relevant sites where you could become a guest contributor. As with your own blog, the content you write should be informative, rather than self-promotional. Quality content will always help improve your SEO rankings.
2) Help A Reporter Out (HARO)
Hoping to land traditional media coverage? The classic PR formula has long been that brands would try to pitch their story to journalists to get featured in a news story. The reality is that most press releases and pitches — even from “exciting” startups — aren’t exactly newsworthy.
But this doesn’t mean that reporters don’t want to hear from you. If you have the right background, you may be exactly who a journalist needs for some extra insights or a quote.
This is where Help A Reporter Out (HARO) comes in.
Rather than pitching to journalists, business owners can fill out their credentials to explain how they’re qualified to speak on a certain topic. HARO then sends you relevant source requests from journalists. By providing helpful answers, your brand could be mentioned in local and national publications alike.
The principles behind HARO tie in to another tried-and-true PR classic: building quality relationships. If you want to go anywhere in generating positive press for your brand, you need to be willing to help others out without expecting anything in return.
Building these positive relationships with reporters, suppliers and customers will always come back to benefit you in the long run.
3) Social Media Savvy
You might think that you won’t have much of an audience on social media. After all, you’re a “boring brand,” not one of the Kardashians. But in addition to your blogging strategy, you absolutely need to develop some social media savvy to build an online presence for your business.
Now, in all likelihood, becoming active on social media isn’t going to land you any news coverage. But it can help you with those other tasks that are vital to spreading the word, like promoting your blog or building relationships with customers and other industry pros.
Don’t be afraid to test out several social media channels to see where you can have the biggest impact. Brands like 3M have found great success through Twitter. Nobody thought blenders were interesting until Blendtec launched their “Will It Blend?” series on YouTube, which has since racked up over 284 million views.
Think outside the box. Ask questions, post often and be willing to engage directly with your customers. Not every social media campaign is going to go viral. But as you make a consistent effort, you’ll build up the support you need to ensure your other PR efforts are successful.
Full Steam Ahead
Trying to carve out your niche when there are so many “exciting” startups out there getting attention can be scary. The good news is that you don’t necessarily have to compete directly with these buzzy brands.
Instead, by focusing on these doable, legitimate PR tactics, you can generate press for your brand and grow your customer base — no matter how boring you might think you are.
