PR and Immediacy: Why #PSL matters for PR people
“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald
Are you lovin’ this time of year? The crisp leaves crunching under your feet, the reds and yellows painting the trees, the dried cornstalk decorations and pumpkin spice everything?
I so am, and, fortunately for me, there’s a bit of PR gold sitting in between the jack o’lanterns, the pumpkin spice lattes, the candy corn and brisk, sunny days. It means that I can keep reveling in the greatness of Autumn, and I can drag you along with me, too.
PR and immediacy have much to do with all things pumpkin this fall, so grab onto your #PSL and come along with me. Trends aren’t just for social media marketers; they’re for you, too. You’re about to find out why.
PR and Immediacy: Why #PSL matters for PR people
PR and immediacy might be two words that you haven’t considered together before, but, actually, immediacy makes all the difference in PR. Think about it: How many times have you landed media attention for your company just because of great timing? For us, timing really is everything.
Research
But PR and immediacy is more than just good luck. Immediacy in PR is usually accompanied by research. For instance, what month are applications due for the Inc. 500|5000 list? (Answer: Late January) When is the local sports reporter looking for team apparel reviews? When is the Business Journal looking for information on real estate? What month is Health Awareness month in your community?
Current events
But besides these items of research, PR and immediacy also takes the form of current events…and this is where trending comes into play for PR people. While PR does not have the same level of immediacy as Twitter, utilizing longer-term current events can make for major PR wins for your company. For example, while you may not take advantage of #askPaul, noting #Under30Summit might be advantageous.
Always, always be thinking critically about the ways to best promote your company. Some of the ways might not be available in three weeks, so pay attention to the trends around you.
More: RedMoxy Minute: What is Newsworthy?
Let’s bring it all together…
…and that brings this conversation full circle. If your audience is feeling the fall love, give it to them! Perhaps your company can provide an aesthetic phone screensaver that goes with the season. Perhaps your CEO can talk about getting yards ready for winter on the morning new channel. Maybe you can host a Trick or Treat party for the kids of your employees in the company offices, and maybe you’ll get some coverage on the news because of it. Sometimes, the feel good stuff pays off dividends for public relations. Long live the #PSL, and may it bring you good, positive favor.
And, just to keep you smiling all blog post long, here’s another beautiful Autumn photo for you to remember us (and PR + immediacy) by.
More: How to Write a Press Release
Need help keeping track of all the PR media mentions you’re getting by remembering to utilize PR and immediacy hand-in-hand with each other? Download our favorite Media Tracker below!