Over the past decade, consumers have learned to approach everything you do. They shop for themselves, pump their own gas at the pump, and serve themselves at home with a refrigerator.
Consumers have also become music producers, creating MP3s through iTunes; becoming retailers through eBay; like a television channel with Youtube. Social media, websites turn everyone into content providers.
So it is perhaps inevitable that consumers will realize they do not need traditional media to stay informed about products or services.
With the rise of search engines, Wi-Fi, and DIY, today’s consumers are more empowered than ever before. They not only believe they have the right to communicate information, but they also have access to global information in a way that was never possible before.
An increasing number of consumers are turning to the internet for the first time to make a purchase – even if the products are also sold offline.
This explains why some PR strategies focus solely on social media, while sending messages through traditional media is still valuable. More and more potential customers are doing their own research online, bypassing newspapers, magazines, radio and television altogether.
There are five ways to create a successful customer-facing PR strategy.
1. Think like a customer.
Too much traditional advertising talks about the features of a product rather than the value it provides to the customer. Customers are looking for products and services that fit their needs. Your copy should focus on what your customers want and explain the problems associated with that desire.
2. Realize that customers and reporters need different things
Reporters work for pleasure or to inform, so press releases must do one of two things. A customer is looking for products to satisfy a desire or to solve a problem. Customers are searching for specific purposes, depending on their mindset.
Your press release should be rich in keywords commonly used in queries that describe your prospects – words that typically do not include the name of your product or service.
Case studies and videos must ensure a few elements that allow customers to easily identify their needs or solutions to their problems.
Traditional press releases don't typically include “how to buy” information, but consumer-focused releases need to help readers discover the solution they need to take immediate action.
3. Recognize how communications are changing.
Newspaper and magazine readership is dwindling. Television is being replaced by cable channels, Netflix, and TiVo, which allow viewers to easily skip commercials. Satellite radio and MP3 players mean fewer people are listening to traditional radio.
Many consumers have completely abandoned traditional media, they have better options in accessing information, they can get information through RSS, download their favorite music and follow their favorite videos on Youtube, DVD, or through video delivery services.
The world has changed and your message must be placed where your customers want it.
4. Maximize search capabilities
Updating your articles through online service providers like PR Newswire, PR Web creates a world view where customers can find information. But don't stop there.
There are dozens of free PR sites that can help your article rank higher in search engines. All of these sites also provide links to your website, making your information easier to find.
Articles need to have relevant phrases, this makes it easier for search engines to recognize them when performing data retrieval.
Your online articles need to be media-focused, but also customer-friendly.
Present your information in a variety of formats: video, podcast, blog, Web audio, and text.
Customers, when they search for information online, often pay attention to the date the information was updated to determine whether it is new or not, so it is necessary to maintain the relationship between new information and old information in some way.
5. Create two-way conversations
Traditional PR may create dialogue between the sender and the reporter, but it also creates a monologue between the media outlet and the consumer. Today, consumers expect a direct dialogue with those in charge to get the value they expect.
The most successful PR firms invite their clients to be part of the process of crafting and sharing their message. This requires letting go of the over-control that traditional PR practices have.
RSS gives consumers the opportunity to choose the news they want to receive, and social media allows them to respond in real time – and spread it online.
Consumer-facing PR requires new thinking about public relations and how messages are delivered. It requires PR professionals who do not over-control messages, but who empathize with customers to understand their desires.
It will create unprecedented opportunities for businesses to collaborate with customers to create better products, boost word-of-mouth marketing and create a win-win relationship.
