How to use targeted PR to win over your audience

A mistake businesses often make when planning PR campaigns is jumping straight to the tools they are going to use to wow their target audience. However, signing up for that whizzy new social media platform everyone is raving about, or chatting up the editor of the boss’s favourite broadsheet, is not the answer to targeted PR.

Take a step back from the ‘how’ and focus on the ‘who’. That’s right. Creating an engaged audience should start with knowing your ideal customer. Here’s how to get to know your audience and other things you need to do to make the most of PR for your business:

Know your audience to build targeted PR campaigns

What makes your audience tick and how do they like to be communicated with? If you don’t know the answers to these questions then it’s time to ask. Don’t forget to revisit customer surveys on a regular basis as digital communications channels and the media landscape are evolving all the time.

Know your target media

If your audience has told you they read a particular type of newspaper, magazine or lifestyle website, you need to get to know that media channel better. Find out if they consider publishing press releases or accept advertorial?

Even better, get hold of a copy of their media pack or have a chat with the newsdesk to find out what topics and PR materials would be useful to them. You’ll have a lot more success in achieving coverage than you would by sending a blanket press release to every media contact you know.

Here’s more about how to capture a journalist’s attention.

Research and test social media channels

There are thousands of social media channels where you can post to your heart’s content. But which are right for your business? If your target audience is telling you that it spends more time on Facebook than any other social media, then this is the place to hang out and chat with them.

You might want to consider setting up a Facebook group to build your community.

Most social media channels have built-in analytics tools that give you some insight into how many people your posts are reaching, what types of content grab the most attention, and the best time to share. Spend time testing what achieves the best results for your business as there is no universal formula for social media success.

Master Google Analytics and Google Search Console

These free Google tools are invaluable for seeing how webpages and blog posts are performing. Check out what content is popular with people visiting your website and note trends across the year. This will inform your PR plans and the topics you need to focus on to feed your audience’s interests.

Here’s our guide to using Google Search Console to increase visits to your website.

If your business could do with practising more targeted PR then Southampton-based PR and marketing agency, Amplify PR can help. Get in touch to speak to us about our PR consultancy services.