1. Website – Including media coverage on your website demonstrates that your company is worth talking about. All company websites should have a newsroom for posting recent press releases and websites. If you don’t, make it a priority. News coverage can be highlighted with media logos and/or a description of the article. You could also give your homepage a dynamic content boost by including a newsfeed on the home page.
2. Social Media – Social media is all about sharing so make sure to post company news on Facebook and Twitter. A note about Facebook: be selective about which articles you share as most people are fine to see daily corporate posts but no one wants their newsfeed clogged with corporate news. Twitter, however, is a place where you should retweet all coverage. Mix it up by also offering a quick overview of the article and don’t forget to credit the news source with their handle, e.g., via @Forbes.
3. Newsletter – If you have a company newsletter you should be highlighting recent and relevant news coverage with your customers, prospects and employees. It is a great way to mix up the often copy-heavy design by including the headlines and links to 2-3 recent articles.
4. Sales Collateral – Nothing expresses a company’s value more than third-party media validation. Arm your sales team with appropriate media coverage to demonstrate the company’s thought leadership, market presence and reputation.
5. Blog – Most blogs are in need of content – something to break up the barrage of thought leadership and how-to’s. Institute a monthly recap of recent news coverage or write your own synopsis of a story that featured your company.

Salesforce.com is great example. While beginning its path as a CRM software provider, the company, thanks in much part to Marc Benioff and a savvy PR/marketing team,  has transformed itself and entire industries including SaaS and Cloud computing. The company looked beyond the CRM marketplace and pushed the envelope – not only in it’s technology but it’s forward-looking views that distinguished Salesforce.com as a revolutionary leader. Bottom line – thoroughly evaluate what your business means to the future of your industry and the greater marketplace – and don’t be afraid to discuss periphery topics. It just may be the door-opener to a new market or expanded use of your solution.

In several examples presented, I was shocked to see that the headline and first paragraph or lead repeated the same phrase six separate times, resulting in utter nonsense. As a journalism school graduate, I am dismayed when I see organizations distribute keyword laden messaging and pass it off as a press release. Ultimately, you are damaging your credibility as an innovative thought leader and maddening the folks that can help you push out your message – the media.

The value a good firm provides its clients goes far beyond distributing news releases.  It begins with strategic communications counsel, thoughtful planning and insight and reaching goals that align with the organization’s overarching business objectives.  The tools used – a press release, blog post, social media channel – are less important.  It is the skill and thought process behind the tactics and the savvy professional or firm that really makes PR invaluable.  Those in PR have an uncanny ability to look at a company as a whole (its products, offerings, brand awareness) and quickly assess its ability to effectively communicate with customers, partners, investors, media, etc.  This is not always easy to assign to a marketing department or other team within an organization.

Plus, PR pros are known for multi-tasking, meaning we are most likely to succeed at navigating our flying car while communicating with clients through our Google glasses.

Basic company descriptors serve as the messaging foundation for all other corporate materials and communications vehicles, so taking the time to get them into shape is critical. Following are three tips for a great elevator pitch:

1)   Keep it concise – You may be tempted to describe every aspect of your business in great detail, but putting a carrot out first enables prospects to develop the level of interest needed to focus and absorb those additional details later—and to ask questions about particular areas of interest.

2)   Cut out the jargon – Don’t assume that everyone knows all the acronyms and industry terms. Use simple terms so the crux of your business comes through clearly.

3)   Include the main differentiators – Go beyond stating your company’s industry and explain what you bring to the table. Why do customers choose you over competitors?

While some dismiss much of what is ghostwritten by PR professionals (thanks to a few bad apples – every profession has them), I wanted to offer our own byline best practices.

1) Always start with a thought-provoking premise. Ideas that are counter to traditional opinion or practice are valued.

2) Stay away from direct or even lightly veiled sales pitches. Media outlets – and the people who follow their content – appreciate some “how to” advice (especially in the industry trade media), but make sure it offers some commentary on why things should be done one way over another.

3) Don’t regurgitate PowerPoints. Bylines need to include unique market perspectives—not just the marketing talking points.

4) Try to extend thought leadership opinions beyond your niche market. While execs are likely to have a lot of thoughts about their own market, stretch your expertise to complementary topics so the guidance doesn’t appear so one-dimensional.

What does this mean for your PR efforts?

Social media channels should be prioritized based on your key audiences. So far, Pinterest has attracted more than 10 million monthly visitors and has successfully captivated the coveted female 25-44 demographic (according to comScore), known for major buying power. If this is your target audience, Pinterest may be right for you.

Just remember, Pinterest is visual and graphics should always outweigh any text included within pins. If your next PR campaign or product launch has a strong visual element, create a special pinboard to accompany the news. Or pin videos or photos from an event.

Additionally, Pinterest can be used as an extension of your website or your press room.  Logos, headshots and important company images are all appropriate items for pinboards.

Today, any online site or social medium with eyeballs will turn into a PR vehicle. While clearly important for BtoC companies, it remains unknown whether Pinterest will drive attention to BtoB organizations. With the site’s high growth rate, it is certainly one to watch.

Some of the stories included minor inaccuracies the day the news was announced and the complaints from our clients began. Of course, as PR professionals we expect this and strive to proactively fix errors as soon as we see them. But in the age of 24/7 media where journalists are fighting not only with other online publications but with social media (tweets of the news, Facebook comments), is it fair to expect them to be Johnny-on-the-spot covering the news and also get every fact and word right?

I sympathize with reporters today. Their job role is no longer confined to research, interviews, writing, fact-checking and reporting. Now, they need to speed up that process ten-fold, take on three times the workload with shrinking newsrooms AND in many cases promote their own stories via social media channels, as well as respond to comments on their respective sites. Whew. And yes, do I get frustrated sometimes that the same mistakes are being made, sure. But guess what, they are human and in the age of digital — mistakes can easily be fixed.

1) We are “people” persons – I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard this odd descriptor.  Sure, we like people, but so do teachers, doctors, retailers, interior designers and most other professions that involve working with others. At our core, PR pros are effective communicators who specialize in helping companies clearly convey their value proposition and industry leadership in a way that cuts through the clutter—whether by writing or speaking—and engages them with their target audiences.

2) We are glamorous – I’m not sure where this one originated as most PR pros make an effort to work behind the scenes and generate the “front-and-center” attention for their executives/clients. In between generating strategic messages and pitching relevant interviews for on-deadline reporters, we’re coaching company spokespersons for future interviews and generating multi-pronged social media campaigns to keep our clients top-of-mind. Creative? Yes. Always on the go? Yes. Glamorous? No.

3) We spend all day on Facebook and Twitter – This one is actually true sometimes, but not because we’re commenting on how adorable our friend’s kid looks in a T-ball uniform or tweeting about the drama of Rihanna and Chris Brown’s musical collaboration. The truth is that 21^st century public relations requires constant monitoring of and participation in a company’s social media platforms. By keeping a close eye on all activity throughout the day, we’re ready to comment on the latest industry news, respond to comments and if necessary, put out fires before they spread.

With the many opportunities available in today’s content driven world, it pays to step outside your comfort zone into related topics—and that requires close contact with your PR team. Understanding customer pain points, the rationale behind new solutions, hot industry issues and competitor viewpoints are all key areas of discussion for the PR team to use in developing an impactful thought leadership strategy and related content. Also, the PR team needs quality time with the company’s thought leaders – on a quarterly conference call, annual planning meeting or for individual media opportunities – so they can better understand their style and perspectives. It is time well invested as it helps ensure a roadmap of sustainable and relevant thought leadership opportunities that position the organization as a credible resource on the industry’s most pressing issues.