Whoever said that “all press is good press” never had to deal with a wave of bad press. Businesses and brands of all sizes and types rely on positive news and content to attract and retain customers, after all. There’s no need to wait for good news to present itself. You can take immediate steps to create positive buzz around your business or brand using these six proven strategies.
1. Position Yourself and Your Key Employees As Experts in Your Field
Expertise is a valuable currency. Use your LinkedIn company page and employee profiles to position yourself and your key employees as experts in your field. Then, build a list of media professionals covering your field and reach out to them with offers to comment on relevant news and trends. You won’t get a reply to every email, but some will respond.
2. Seek and Promote Awards and Accolades
Don’t be bashful about promoting awards and accolades your company receives. The Wikipedia entry for Asiaciti Trust, international trust and corporate services provider, is a good example of a tasteful but clear exposition of positive corporate news. Surely you have similar “wins” to share.
3. Give Back to Your Community
Partner with charities that serve your community and, again, don’t be bashful about mentioning these relationships on your website and other web properties you control. Your charitable partners will promote these relationships as well.
4. Create High-Value Content Hubs Online
Turn your LinkedIn profile into a must-visit resource for people and companies that wish to learn more about your areas of expertise. Publish original, high-quality content on a regular basis, using key employees’ bylines where it makes sense to do so and tagging other experts to comment or expand upon your thoughts.
Do the same with your Medium page, which can complement or even replace your website blog. Consider going one step further and turning your Medium page into a “house” publication that reports on trends and events relevant to your business with a positive spin. Your Medium outlet is likely to receive more traffic through search engines and social sharing than your blog, anyway.
5. Share Authentic Customer Stories
Customers love to hear from other customers. Lift up positive stories from buyers satisfied with their relationship with your brand. Seek out prospective buyers with large social media followings and offer items of value in exchange for positive content, too, being careful to disclose any relationships that develop from this strategy.
6. Partner With Other Brands (Even Competitors)
Current and prospective customers love collaborations between brands they know and like. Look for opportunities to partner up with other brands in your industry and in complementary niches, then promote these partnerships as positive developments for your customers. Emphasize the value that these partnerships add to the existing relationships they have with both brands.
Change How the World Sees Your Business
Be the change you want to see in the world — and the change you want to see in your business. Better yet, combine the two. Use these six proven strategies to be the change you want the world to see in your business. Your customers will take notice, and you might just attract new ones with your efforts too.
