Hiring a press relations agency isn’t often the first thing you think of when you own an online sales site. And yet, this type of communication action offers real advantages for boosting the visibility, awareness and credibility of your e-commerce store among your potential customers. In this article,press relations agency Altosor Communication explains what press relations are and how they can improve your communication.
What is press relations?
Press relations, in its broadest sense, refers to the management of communication between an organization and the media. This encompasses everything from sending out press releases and following up journalists’ inquiries, to organizing events and managing potential crises that could affect your company’s reputation. Discover our press relations services.
The main role of press relations is toraise a company’s profile, shape its public image in a positive way and maintain a positive relationship with the media. This may involve working on the promotion of new products or services, managing the company’s brand image or communicating more corporate aspects such as HR, financial results or CSR policy.
An example of successful press relations would be that of Apple, which has been able to create a media buzz around each new product thanks to an effective and well-orchestrated press relations strategy. The product launch campaigns meticulously crafted by Steve Jobs and his team are a studied example of a successful marketing campaign using press relations in particular. Find out more here.
The definition of a company’s press relations strategy and the implementation of press relations actions can be managed by an in-house team or by a specialized communications agency.
What are the benefits of a press relations campaign for your company?
A regular, solid and consistent presence in the media is a major asset for any company in France, whether large or medium-sized. This is true for all business sectors, whether your company is a service provider or an online retailer. Indeed, when it comes to communicating to promote a brand and increase awareness of an online store, there’s often a tendency to turn to digital communication and social networks, whether it’s SEA or community management, for example. Nevertheless, press relations can make a significant contribution to enhancing your company’s presence and reputation, both with your customers and the wider corporate ecosystem. They also help you build confidence with potential investors and partners in Paris and around the world.
1. Promote your company with a press relations strategy
First of all, good visibility in the media enables us to make ourselves known to a varied audience. This may seem obvious, but it’s essential to remember that every time your company is mentioned in the media, it raises its profile. The more visible your brand is, the more it will be recognized, which can generate business opportunities and strengthen your credibility in the marketplace.
2. Building stakeholder trust
Secondly, the main aim of a press relations strategy is to highlight not only the company’s offering, but also lesser-known aspects such as its commitment to the community, the environment and all the good practices implemented internally. This fosters a positive feeling towards the brand, and thus has an impact on the trust that all stakeholders (customers, suppliers, investors, etc.) place in the company. This is particularly important for online retailers, where customer contact is usually virtual. Trust obviously has a major impact on the choice of e-commerce platform on which a person will decide to shop.
3. Journalists as influencers
In this age of influencers of all kinds, journalists are part of a historic relationship with their readers, and have a rightful place in an influencer communications strategy. Whether they work in print or online, whether they express themselves in their media or on their personal social networks , their opinions have an undeniable impact on the public and their many readers, followers and subscribers. Building long-term, trust-based relationships with journalists from the mainstream and trade press is therefore essential for any brand. The first rule, and surely the most important, is don’t bother them for nothing. Obviously, all your company’s news seems important to you, but put yourself in the shoes of journalists, some of whom receive over 100 press releases a day… Knowing how not to over-solicit them is essential to creating and maintaining good relationships.
3. Win and retain customers with a press relations campaign
Good visibility in the media can help you retain existing customers and win new ones. The general public is increasingly turning to the Internet and social media to find out about products and services. They are particularly fond of the comparisons often offered by journalists and online media. A positive relationship and an active media presence can therefore attract new customers and strengthen the loyalty of those who are already loyal to your brand.
4. A press relations strategy helps boost your SEO on Google and social networks
Even if it doesn’t seem obvious at first, press relations, and in particular the press articles you can obtain in the online media, will help improve the referencing of your site while increasing your credibility and chances of conversion.
Whenever articles linking to your website are published by reputable media, they are considered as backlinks from websites with good authority and therefore positive for your search engine ranking. And journalists and media outlets can also share their articles on social networks. In this case, don’t hesitate to share them with your followers on your own networks. This gives consumers an opportunity tointeract with your brand and learn more about your products or services, while benefiting your visibility. Indeed, according to this concept, known as SMO, search engine algorithms consider social signals, such as content shares and likes, to determine website rankings. What’s more, these interactions can lead to conversions, whether it’s a purchase, newsletter sign-up or other type of engagement. A strong presence on social networks can improve your ranking in search results, increasing your company’s overall reputation.
Promote your company’s events through press relations with influencers and the media
In the dynamic world of press relations, every bit of news can make all the difference. The need to communicate regularly with your media network is therefore important. This communication is usually in writing, but the most vital information is often revealed at events.
Influencers, whether journalists, bloggers or social network personalities, have become key players in today’s media landscape. Building relationships with them can offer valuable opportunities to increase your brand’s visibility and reach a wider audience.
Quality press relations require listening and empathy, constant responsiveness, a good knowledge of the inner workings of the media and a thorough understanding of journalists’ needs and issues. That’s why a press relations strategy must be carefully tailored to the company’s needs in terms of brand image and awareness, to maximize the impact of the actions taken.
It’s important to remember that press relations is not just about promotion. It’s also about managing the perception that the public, the media and other influencers have of your company. This requires a communication strategy strategy, a rapid and transparent response to media requests, and constant evaluation of the effectiveness of your efforts.
So, to develop quality press relations, you need to start by clearly defining your objectives, identifying the media most relevant to your brand, creating a compelling and coherent message, and building strong and lasting relationships with journalists. Finding journalists with whom to build good relationships can be made easier by using online tools dedicated to press relations, such as media contact databases, press release distribution platforms, or professional social networks.
To be effective, press relations rely on a number of techniques and tools:
Media monitoring
It’s essential to keep a constant eye on what’s going on and what’s trending in the press. If your information fits in perfectly with the themes, it will meet the needs of journalists, who will be more inclined to talk about your company. You’ll seize every opportunity to position your company in the public conversation. It’s also important to keep an eye on the media’s special features. This is known as editorial calendar tracking. Some of these are recurrent, known as ” chestnuts” (back-to-school, Christmas, summer, but also major trade shows in the trade press). The better your relationship with your key journalists, the more likely they are to call you directly when preparing a story. However, getting to this stage requires a great deal of effort beforehand. On the other hand, make sure you have something really relevant to say on the subject before contacting the media.
Press kit
The main purpose of a press kit is to provide the media with all the information they need about your company to write an article or prepare a report. A press kit contains a variety of essential information for the media and journalists. It is designed to provide a complete overview of an event, company or product. A press kit generally includes a press release, which summarizes the key points. It can also include data sheets, biographies of the key people involved, photos, graphics or other relevant visual aids. In addition, you can find quotes and testimonials, as well as contact details for further inquiries.
Press releases
Press releases are fundamental tools for communicating with the media. They allow you to present your news in a concise and attractive way, while providing detailed and accurate information to help journalists and influencers cover the story.
In order to achieve your objective, your copywriting must include a catchy title, relevant and precise information, a human and personal quote, and brevity and conciseness. Only the advice of a team of press relations professionals can help you put together a press release or press kit that meets journalists’ needs and expectations.
Press interviews
Press interviews are a privileged moment for companies. Getting a face-to-face or telephone meeting with an influential and relevant journalist is an opportunity not only to get important messages across about the company, but also to create more qualitative relationships and build a valuable network. But be sure to prepare for this meeting by working with your consulting agency to establish the key messages you want to get across. This applies to all influencers.
The events
An event, whether it’s a press conference for a product launch, the announcement of annual financial results or a more informal event such as a gala, is a valuable opportunity to attract media attention. Good media coverage before, during and after the event is crucial to generate interest and ensure effective media coverage. Depending on the topic, select the journalists and influencers to invite. Press trips to production sites or any other place connected with your company are also an excellent way of convincing influencers by showing them your technical innovations, inviting them to meet your R&D team or showing them the efforts made to protect the environment and resources. The subjects can be numerous.
In short, if done right, press relations for your company can only lead to higher media visibility, increased brand awareness, improved SEO, customer acquisition and retention, and increased chances of conversion. To maximize these benefits, it’s essential to work with an experienced press relations agency like Altosor Communication, which can help you develop and implement an effective communications strategy.
Strategies for maintaining good relations with the press and journalists
To maintain press relations, it’s essential to be proactive, to respond quickly to journalists’ requests, to be transparent and honest, and to provide new and interesting information on a regular basis.
Mistakes to avoid in press relations include lack of preparation, lack of follow-up, overselling your story, over-soliciting influencers for irrelevant topics and forgetting to treat journalists with the respect and courtesy they deserve.
In terms of expected returns, these can range from simple media coverage to lead generation, improved brand awareness and effective crisis management.
Why choose Altosor Communication?
Altosor Communication is a public relations, digital marketing and communications agency offering a wide range of services to help companies boost their visibility. Our experienced, professional and specialized team helps our customers achieve their objectives through effective and innovative communication strategies.
Working with Altosor Communication offers many advantages for companies wishing to improve their online presence:
- A global, personalized approach: Altosor takes the time to study the specific needs of each customer and proposes solutions tailored to meet their objectives.
- A team of press relations experts and more: the Altosor Communication team is made up of professionals with skills and experience in media relations, positioning, key message definition and content strategy. You can be sure of receiving the best advice and quality workmanship, with convincing results.
- Tailor-made support: our press relations agency listens to its customers throughout the project, ensuring regular follow-up and a relationship of trust.
See our press relations rates and services
A team of skilled professionals
Altosor Communication attaches particular importance to press relations. The agency works closely with the media, both traditional and digital, to ensure wide distribution of its customers’ news and achievements.
Press relations enable companies to raise their profile and authority in their field, while reinforcing their public image. They are an indispensable complement to any digital strategy.
In addition to these services, the Altosor Communication team is made up of experts dedicated to the success of their customers, whatever their needs and projects. They include webmasters, graphic designers, SEO copywriters, community managers and digital marketing specialists.
Each of these professionals contributes his or her know-how and experience to offer innovative, high-performance solutions to the companies that call on the agency.
Concrete, measurable results
The effectiveness of Altosor Communication’s services is demonstrated by a number of outstanding successes.
For example, author R. Nicole called on Altosor Communication to promote his novel Coup de foudre avec la Lune to the public in mainland France and the Antilles-Guyane. Altosor produced a press kit, press campaign and social network launch, all of which helped raise the profile of the novel’s launch.
What’s more, several customers have benefited from improved online visibility thanks to theSEO work carried out by Altosor Communication’s team of SEO copywriters.
By calling on Altosor Communication’s press relations agency, business owners and marketing and communications managers benefit from a reliable and committed partner to help them develop their online business.
The Altosor Communication press relations agency stands out for its expertise, its team of qualified professionals and its notable successes. If you’re a company looking to improve your global visibility, don’t hesitate to call on this competent communications agency for concrete, measurable results.
Other services offered by Altosor Communication
Altosor Communication stands out for its expertise in various areas of digital marketing. Here are some of the services offered by the digital agency:
Digital strategy
The agency works with clients to develop digital strategies tailored to their specific needs, from brand positioning to the development of online advertising campaigns.
Website creation
Altosor Communication’s specialists design tailor-made websites to meet companies’ requirements, whether it’s an e-commerce store using Prestashop or a showcase site to present their services.
Web audit
The web audit service enables companies to assess the performance of their website and identify areas for improvement to optimize their natural search engine optimization (SEO) and online visibility.
Visual identity
Finally, the agency also offers corporate identity creation, including graphic design, graphic charter and logo design.
SEO and SEA advertising
Search engine optimization goes perfectly with a press relations campaign to reinforce the SEO strategy. In addition, Altosor can organize a SEA paid advertising marketing campaign.
