Guest article: Matt Baldwin, Coast
Who has the best burgers on the high street?
In a very unscientific survey (our kids), Five Guys wins hands down. The ‘build your own’ burger and its fries are a clear, if expensive, winner. Credit goes to the ‘extra’ handful of fries loose in the bag (even though we know it isn’t really ‘extra’ at all) and refillable drinks (even though we rarely take advantage).
What makes Five Guys just that little more interesting, at least for the team at Coast, is the press cuttings framed across its restaurants.
We know most of its customers probably don’t care. But it’s a PR thing. PRs spot these details (and then bore their families with fascinating observations).
It’s simple, clever and reminds diners that they are enjoying the best burgers in the world. It’s also a lot cheaper than the ad campaigns of its larger rivals.
It begs the question why other businesses don’t follow suit.
Professional services firms are, for the most part, very good at PR, building campaigns and press that demonstrate their expertise and insights. There is, however, a temptation to think the job is done once the article or story appears.
Yet the PR journey shouldn’t stop there. In fact, we would argue this is just the beginning.
Here, PRs, their BD and fee-earners colleagues need to crank it up and make press stories work hard. Media coverage, like Five Guys’ burgers, needs to go ‘all the way’.
Many years ago, folders of press cuttings would sit in receptions for clients and guests to browse. Now, that folder is LinkedIn. But a post on the corporate LinkedIn page will never be enough. It’s where content goes to die.
So how can firms make the most of their hard-won press?
Here are a few suggestions.
LinkedIn. Authors and those quoted should, at the bare minimum, share their content. Many don’t. They should also get their colleagues to comment, reshare and share directly via their own LinkedIn feeds. Don’t leave it to the algorithm. Amplify as much as possible.
Send to key contacts and clients. How often do authors of an article send links or a copy directly to clients, contacts and intermediaries? Our experience suggests rarely. If a top-tier magazine, website or newspaper deems it valuable enough to publish, then firms should consider it the same.
A ‘I’ve just written this and thought you might find it interesting’ email might just spark a new conversation. But do keep in mind copyright restrictions.
Pitches. Maybe not the obvious home, but why not, particularly when bios of the team are included.
Legal directories. Yes, they are hard to love, but law firms still play the submissions game. Make sure good press supports those submissions.
Internal comms. A great and easy way to celebrate the contributions of colleagues, share thinking and start conversations internally.
Professional services firms may not want to frame press cuttings in their receptions or meeting rooms, but they should frame wider BD and comms.
Matt Baldwin is the co-founder of Coast Communications, a media relations agency.