Lights, camera, action: Why video should now be central to your PR strategy

11th September 2024 by Philippa Probert

We know how important it is to always include a choice of high-resolution photos with a press release to illustrate a story but what about a video?

With the ability to captivate audiences and convey messages in seconds video is a valuable PR tool that I think we will see being used a lot more over the next few years.

We’ve started to see journalists and news desks ask for and accept videos alongside releases and, with some publications even having specialist social news desks,  it’s clear to see why video is taking over.

Video hosting platform, TikTok, is expected to hit over 2.2 billion users by 2027* and 9 out of 10** brands are already using video, with 87% of marketers reporting a direct increase in sales through video. So how and why should video be part of your PR strategy?

Videos can be used to share multiple messages; to launch a new product or collaboration, promote a businesses service, share positive testimonials or details about an upcoming event.

Viewers are likely to be more engaged watching a short video over reading a wordy news piece, especially when consuming news on their devices, hence why some brands now choose to go down this route more than the traditional methods.

And making engaging videos doesn’t have to break the bank or need specialist equipment. Mobile phones have great cameras and editing apps such as CapCut can allow us to create specialist videos that are budget friendly, adding titles, music, captions and subtitles, as well as tailoring transitions and tempo.  

To make the most of video material, brands can use stories to build anticipation such as a sneak peek of something, they can go live to give viewers a countdown to the video being shared or use to go ‘behind the scenes’. Once the video is shared, brands can do a follow up Q&A or bloopers (great for increasing engagement as it shows personality behind a brand).

Video, and especially short-form video, are here to stay and will continue to help brands get their messaging out there.  Companies who focus on creating content that stands out, as well as trying different content to see what resonates with the audience, will reap the rewards.

Some of our predictions for the future of video include:

• Soon video content will accompany written press releases just as much as still images, maybe even instead of
• Experts who provide commentary or a statement may do so via video format as well as a written comment making it perfect for news websites and social media platforms
• Short-form videos will continue to be in demand giving brands just a few seconds to capture their audience with concise messaging
• Live streaming will be used more often by brands seeking genuine, in-the-moment interaction with their customers

If you want us to help with your video strategy, drop us an email beinspired@activepr.co.uk

How to maximise the impact of a press release

30th August 2024 by Philippa Probert

Public relations and press releases go hand in hand but have you ever thought about what else us PR professionals do to maximise a press release’s impact?

Nowadays we don’t just draft a release and issue it to key journalists and media outlets, we also use digital channels to share the news with a broader audience.

We will never stop issuing press releases via traditional routes but we also leverage online platforms such as a client’s website, social media and email marketing to reach more people.

Sharing snippets of a press release on social media is probably the quickest and easiest way to share news on multiple platforms. Tailoring the message so it’s suitable for each platform is also key as some details may be relevant to a Facebook audience but not relevant to a LinkedIn audience. You can also engage with social media users by asking them to like, share and comment on the post.

Uploading news releases onto your website and then sharing the link on social media also works really well and will help increase traffic to your website.

Another way you can maximise content from a press release is via email marketing. Going straight into the inbox of your database, this is a great way to include snippets of key information from a release such as information on a new development or dates and times of an event.

As a PR agency, we’re constantly receiving requests from journalists in our inbox so if a story fits in with their brief this presents another opportunity to send over a tailored press release.

What should a press release include?

• Strong headline
• Introduction that includes who, what, when, where, and how
• A clear news angle
• Relevance to current events or trends
• A quote
• High quality images or videos
• A call to action
• Details of how to find out more
• Notes to editors (a boiler plate)
• Contact details for your marketing or PR team

Want us to do the work for you? Email beinspired@activepr.co.uk to speak to our team about how we can manage your PR strategy.

A lesson in supersonic PR from Oasis

29th August 2024 by Kate Logan

The news that Oasis are reforming for a series of gigs in 2025 went viral at supersonic speed last week.

The same 11 second video clip showing a date and time was posted by both previously estranged Gallagher brothers and via the official Oasis X account, in the style of the band’s logo.

There was little doubt as to what was coming and WhatsApp groups across the nation began pinging in anticipation.

Sure enough, there was morning glory at 8am on Tuesday as the reunion tour was confirmed and fans instantly crashed the official website looking for news on how to secure tickets.

A teenager of the 90s, I grew up at the height of the Brit Pop era, my loyalties lying with Oasis over their rivals Blur. I was lucky enough to go and see one of the last gigs they performed in Liverpool before their explosive split 15 years ago.

However, it’s not just the Oasis fans of old like me clamouring to get tickets, some might say the band’s popularity has endured throughout their years apart and fans perhaps too young to watch them live before their split are keen to seize their chance to be here now.

15 years is a long time in PR – but Noel and Liam are just as adept at gaining publicity in the digital era as they were at securing tabloid column inches in the 90s and early 2000s.

Their coordinated teaser campaign, giving just a date and time, was a masterstroke and a lesson in how less is often more in digital PR. All part of the masterplan of course and designed to maximise shares on social media.

Flawless in its execution, the same message flashed up on a screen behind the stage after Liam’s performance at Reading Festival, flickered then disappearing like a 90s analogue TV signal.

Despite the tumultuous nature of the band, its branding has never wavered, nor has it needed to. The black and white Oasis logo looks as fresh today as ever, testament to the effectiveness of simplicity and consistency in design. Using that instantly recognisable style of the logo for the teaser message, with the white stylishly updated to gold, will live forever in fans’ memories.

Since then, the announcements have kept coming – pre-sale ballots, new gig dates added in response to demand, all pre-planned and brilliantly coordinated. We’ll watch with interest as the publicity reaches fever pitch ahead of the opening night next year.

Wish us luck getting tickets!

Why social media strategy is like training a puppy

19th August 2024 by Rachael Bruce

It’s no secret that we’re dog lovers at Active PR and ICYMI we’ve recently welcomed a new four-legged team member Lucie. Helping her settle in made me think about the parallels between puppy training and social media strategy. Read on to discover why you should think like a dog trainer when it comes to the social media strategy for your business.

1. Planning and preparation –  just as you’d make time to teach your pup the basics, you should set aside time on a regular basis to manage your social media. This includes:
   • Content creation – shooting or sourcing images and video, writing the captions so that you have a bank of posts.
   • Scheduling posts for broadcast across various social media channels in advance will save time in the long run as you won’t be wondering when to post.
   • Monitoring and responding to comments on your posts and DMs. Have a bank of approved stock replies to speed up processes. These can be tweaked to circumstances as appropriate.
2. Fun and engaging – learning should be fun for your pup and the same applies to your social media content, your followers should want to see your posts and be encouraged to interact with them.
3. Consistent tone –  your puppy will need to know the difference not just in what you’re saying but the way you say it to help them understand what’s expected of them. Establishing a brand voice is equally important, although the tone may vary across different platforms – it’s unlikely you’d use the same content on LinkedIn and TikTok even if the message you want to convey is the same.
4. Little and often – puppies have short attention spans, just like people on social media. Don’t expect people to read long posts or watch long videos. Keep it short and snappy with a link to the full article or longer video on your website or YouTube channel.
5. Acknowledge positives and negatives – just like puppies, there may be occasions where things get a little messy. On social media people will be quick to criticise and slow to praise. Acknowledging feedback, both good and bad, is important. Instead of simply hiding a negative comment, invite the poster to DM or email to take the conversation off line.
6. Rewarding – if your pup follows the instructions and training is going well, you’ll want to reward them, perhaps with a treat, affection or a toy. Treating your followers could be simply giving them practical tips or providing them with infotainment or it could be running a competition where all they need to do is like a post, follow your page, share the content and tag a friend for a chance to win.
7. Track performance – knowing what works and what doesn’t will enable you to adjust and tailor your puppy training and your social media strategy. If your pup hasn’t learned to sit, it’s unlikely they’ll master stay. If your videos aren’t being watched but people are swiping to look through multiple images, then your content mix should include more multi-image posts.

While we don’t claim to be experts in dog training, we’re a pack of seasoned PR pros who’ll happily take the lead in helping develop a social media strategy for your business. Just like our canine companions, we’re loyal to our clients and have worked with some of them for decades. We also bring the enthusiasm of a puppy to everything we do. Want to know more? Email beinspired@activepr.co.uk.

AI and PR

31st July 2024 by Rachael Bruce

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the landscape of Public Relations (PR), reshaping how organizations communicate and engage with their audiences. By leveraging advanced technologies such as machine learning, natural language processing, and data analytics, AI empowers PR professionals to craft more targeted, personalized, and effective communication strategies. From automating routine tasks like media monitoring and social media management to providing deep insights into audience behavior and sentiment analysis, AI enhances the efficiency and impact of PR campaigns. This integration not only helps in delivering timely and relevant content but also in predicting trends and crises, allowing for proactive reputation management. As AI continues to evolve, it promises to unlock new possibilities for innovation, creativity, and strategic thinking in the realm of Public Relations.

That first section was written using ChatGPT, perhaps one of the best-known AI brands. At Active PR we pride ourselves in our writing ability and so ordinarily don’t use AI in our copywriting. The above was an experiment as part of writing this blog.

But using AI does have its benefits as it can streamline the process for some tasks such as analysing data to find patterns. AI and automation are used by many media monitoring services to track and collate coverage including analysing sentiment in coverage and with machine learning help ensure consistent reporting.

However, there’s room for error and a need for human oversight as AI doesn’t always recognise some of the nuances in language. For example, a sarcastic negative comment on social media could be flagged as positive feedback.

In content creation, there’s a place for AI but there’s also a need for human input to ensure accuracy, authenticity and the tone are all on brand and appropriate for both the medium and audience.

It’s important to remember that AI is only as good as the people using it. Just as a new member of staff will need to be instructed to carry out tasks, AI needs to be briefed too and their work reviewed and signed off.

ChatGPT is perhaps one of the best-known AI brands, but there are so many others available with different functionalities.

In one of its simplest forms, AI can be used to autocomplete sentences, which can help save time, particularly if you’re often writing about the same subject as AI will learn key phrases. (Microsoft Word wanted to use automate in this instance 😉)

Speech to text technology such as Otter AI can mean you don’t need to take notes during meetings or interviews. But it also means when you’re reading back through the notes, you’ll have a record of those informal conversations that take place while you’re waiting for everyone to join the call.  Some of which you perhaps won’t want a permanent record of!

The search function is a great tool as it means you can easily look for and find a key topic or action point.

It’s always good to have the backup of your own notes – in a good old-fashioned notebook or on a laptop or tablet so you can cross reference and potentially correct any inaccuracies on either side.

AI is a tool that can make tasks easier. Some of our team remember the days when press packs had to be mailed or couriered to journalists. Today we can easily reach out to our media contacts, sending them a WhatsApp, DM or email with client news and photos.

It’s about embracing change and new technology and learning to work smarter not harder.

If you want to know more about how we can help your business, email beinspired@activepr.co.uk.

What role does PR play in shaping a brand?

4th June 2024 by Philippa Probert

As public relations professionals we work on a variety of activities aimed at building and maintaining a positive reputation for our clients. This includes enhancing brand awareness. But how do we help to shape public perception of a client’s brand and why is it important?

One of the best ways to create a strong brand identity is to share USPs and show consumers why they should choose your company over others. This message should be reinforced consistently across all communications, including via press releases, on social media and in any paid for advertising. It can also be enhanced by hosting events – either with consumers or, if the target is other businesses, then through networking events.

Building positive consumer interest is another way we can help shape brands. We’ve helped businesses stand out by developing long-term PR campaigns that showcase their social values. As we predominately work within property, this includes managing community funds and creating campaigns to inspire the next generation into the industry.

Loyalty is built on trust so if you can grow consumer confidence then this will work wonders for your brand. Sharing positive stories about your company and its people, for example volunteer work, company milestones, staff news like promotions and awards, will all help to establish a personality behind the brand.

As PR professionals we have cultivated strong relationships with journalists and this is essential for media coverage. Earned media in reputable publications will raise your brand to new heights.

We can help you to create a lasting and positive image so if you want to know more, email beinspired@activepr.co.uk