Ever notice how some companies just seem to be everywhere? Their CEO is quoted in the daily newspaper, new hires are listed in the People section of the business publication, executives speak at local events and they even have a Twitter account. What?! How can it be they do all the same work you do (investor announcements, newsletters and internal memos and events), and get their company mentioned everywhere? 
The answer is simple: they beat the PR drum—meaning they look for small and consistent media placements throughout the year to supplement the routine or big announcements. They seek to achieve a steady beat of news rather than putting all their energy into one big concert people quickly forget. A bonus is that collectively, all of these small placements and mentions in various outlets helps boost their visibility and rankings on Google.
In my time working with companies of different sizes, those in the medium-size category struggle the most to do this. Oftentimes because they don’t have dedicated PR staff, or if they do, it is one person focused on big news—mergers, quarterly investor announcements, new product launches, trade show appearances and unfortunately, sometimes managing negative news.
I’m not suggesting the bigger projects aren’t worthy of the focus and effort, however. But for companies looking for that extra boost to set them apart from their competitors, they should consider a strategy that achieves a steady beat of PR. This might include frequent new hire announcements, community sponsorships, award submissions, photo captions and event listings, for example. Sure, these aren’t involved product launches or a high-tech booth display at the 2014 International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS). These are simply tactics to keep your company front and center so potential clients, job seekers and others can find you. Always remember the power of Google search rankings. The more information out there, the more there is for Google to crawl.
If time is your enemy and you have more work than people to do it, a PR firm with strong media contacts and a knack for finding opportunities to feature your company can help. Look for firms with proven success—with the big stuff and the small stuff. One who understands a steady beat is better than a big bang.
What do you think? Do you agree or do you think fewer big stories are better? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
_____
Hollie Geitner is vice president, client services for WordWrite Communications. You can find her on Twitter @JustHollieG.
