Umlingo’s Top Tips for Effective Travel PR
II was asked for a few tips on how to tackle PR in today’s world. Having worked in the industry for 25+ years - it has changed almost completely from when I studied. So much so that I signed up for a Digital Marketing Course to upskill and get myself up to date during lockdown! There is no more sending out slide photos, stuffing envelopes or spending hours at the photocopier doing clippings! (Thank you Lord! shudder). PR is now far more strategic - and needs to be an integrated part of the marketing, SEO and digital strategy.
Here are a few tips I’ve picked up along the way…
“SPRAY & PRAY” IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER
The old idea of writing a press release and blasting it out to a massive media database died many years ago. PR has changed from broadcasting messages to a more two-way organic engagement. Research your target publications and journalists properly. Tailor your pitch or release specifically to their publication and their readership. Updating your media list constantly is key to ensure you can target the right people, with the right story, in the right format, at the right time. Press releases still have their place - but surveys, videos and other interactive formats are just as vital for securing that coverage.
ITS ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS
Establishing and maintaining genuine relationships with journalists is key. If I read a great feature in the press I will often email that journalist to compliment or thank them. Everyone needs a little appreciation now and then - with no hidden agenda or ulterior motive. If they ask for help – go the extra mile. Even if its not your client. They will remember you.
Treat everyone - and their time - with respect. Today’s freelancer could be the next FT /Times /Telegraph Editor!
BE ON THE ALERT
Twitter is still a great place for media engagement. See what they are writing about, where they have recently travelled and what resonates with them. Follow and interact with relevant journalists and create twitter lists so you don’t miss important tweets. If you search for #journoalert you will see the latest shout outs from journalists needing help. I have had many successes over the years by responding quickly to these.
And DO NOT phone them. Email is your friend - unless in exceptional circumstances.
THINK OUT OF THE BOX
Try and come up with new and creative, newsworthy angles to pitch. Use social listening to see what’s trending. Keep a list of key hashtag days and events in your industry. I work in travel - mostly for Africa … so I make sure I tailor my social media and story pitches in line with dates like World Elephant Day, World Tourism Day or Earth Hour – as well as events like Indaba or World Travel Market.
STAY AHEAD OF THE TIMES
Most print magazines work 3 months ahead – so you need to be pitching your Christmas stories in September and be planning your Valentine’s Date at Guy Fawkes! Often journalists will want a photo of your hotel or lodge before it is built! That’s a challenge I’ve always struggled with!
LinkedIn is like a free news platform. With over 675 million global users, it is one no business can afford to ignore. Make sure your business page reflects your brand pillars - and is kept updated with interesting content and news. Check your analytics to see who is looking at you. Keep your tone professional and spend a couple of hours a week networking. Only post during business hours – morning is best. Every month you get 100 new credits to invite connections to follow your page – use them!
DIGITAL PR
Years ago digital features didn’t count for much and everyone wanted print coverage but this has shifted completely. PR’s will increasingly need to show measurable ROI for campaigns – which is far easier with digital PR than traditional PR. Online coverage can be measured by the high quality backlinks from credible news sites with authority are vital for SERP Google rankings as well as the engagement it elicits ie views, clicks, shares, likes – and even better … bookings/conversions.
Also measuring the value of coverage in terms of Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE) is no longer a thing! (whew we can put down our rulers!). Editorial is worth at least five times more than a paid advert - but that doesn’t take into account whether the content is positive or negative – or what brand sentiment the content generates.
These days coverage is measured in a far more holistic way - aligned to your overarching marketing strategy and organisational objectives. Success can be attributed to the quality of the feature’s backlink (a link to your website from the BBC is around 97 out of 100 AhRefs in terms of domain authority), the click through traffic the links generate to your website - and any spikes in your social media following or SEO ranking. A far better way to measure the worth of a successful PR campaign.
#TravelPR #PRTips #JustMyHumbleOpinion
