The evolution of the news cycle – particularly as a result of technology – has been nothing short of astounding.
Once upon a time, news was delivered at specific moments in the day – either during the breakfast, lunch or evening news bulletins; in the daily newspaper; or on Teletext…. Which was also brilliant for Bamboozle (did anyone else play that?).
But the rise of 24/7 TV news channels, online publications and social media have meant that those specific moments in time have disappeared and while in many cases that should mean that there is more “airtime” to fill (benefitting organisations who want to share), it actually has created a heap of competition resulting in the media being more selective about what they accept.
When we chat with organisations about what’s going on internally, often there can be a disconnect between what they perceive of interest to the media and what might actually play out…. And it can be the things that might feel low priority are actually where the value could lie for an organisation.
In this two-part blog, we are going to look at both what makes the news and what mechanisms organisations can take to get their name in the news cycle… buckle up!
In today's fast-paced digital world, "news" is more than just a headline in a newspaper. For B2B organisations in particular, news is a powerful tool to engage audiences, build credibility, and drive business growth.
But to truly take advantage of its potential, you need to understand the different functions of news and how they can support your overall communication strategy.
1. Business updates: keeping your audience informed
Business updates are the bread and butter of your news strategy.
They keep your audience informed about important developments within your company, and can cover:
Product launches and enhancements: Announce new products or features, highlighting their benefits and how they solve customer challenges…but the media don’t want to hear about version 2.3.4 of that product…
Company growth and milestones: Made any key appointments or seen record growth recently? Get the news out there! Share news about company expansion, new hires, partnerships, or awards (though there are exceptions to this if the awards are tied to a publication). This demonstrates momentum and builds confidence in your brand.
Financial performance: If relevant, share positive financial results or significant investments. This reinforces your stability and attracts potential investors.
2. Breaking news: responding to timely events
Breaking news involves reacting quickly to timely events or industry developments. This demonstrates your awareness and thought leadership.
Industry trends: Share your perspective on emerging trends or regulatory changes, positioning your company as an industry expert. As a guide, commentary on topics like the budget need to written, approved and issued to media within 30 minutes of them breaking.
Company response to external events: Address relevant external events, such as economic shifts or natural disasters, showcasing your company's values and resilience. However, be careful not to be seen as an ambulance chaser and before commenting, weigh up if you adding to the story will bring value to the news and your brand.
Crisis communication: Something that requires a lot more detail than we can provide here, but in the event of a crisis, news updates are a way to share accurate information with external audiences – but it must be considered as part of a wider, tightly managed communications strategy alongside internal comms, stakeholder comms and customer comms.
3. New data or research: sharing valuable insights
Sharing new data or research findings establishes your company as a thought leader and provides valuable content for your audience. This can be shared with the media as:
Proprietary research: Commission and publish findings from your own research, showcasing your expertise and innovation. YouGov, Censuswide and Vanson Bourne are brilliant and reputative research organisations to partner with.
Industry reports: Share insights from relevant industry reports, adding your own analysis and perspective. Think commentary on analyst reports from Gartner or McKinsey or alternatively adding to the conversation from an ONS survey.
Data-driven storytelling: Use data (either your own or a collation of publicly referenceable data) to tell compelling stories that resonate with your audience and highlight the value of your solutions. Remember to reference your sources though 😉.
4. Customer contract wins: showcasing success
Announcing customer contract wins builds credibility and demonstrates the value of your products or services. Benefitting both you and your customer, make sure you agree at the contract stage that any projects will be able to be publicly referenceable.
Highlight key clients: Showcase new partnerships with well-known or respected organisations.
Focus on customer success: Share how your solutions have helped clients achieve their goals – make sure you have some figures to share here. From helping a company to save money to improve their operations, media want hard facts.
By incorporating these different functions of news into your communication strategy, you can engage your audience, build brand awareness, and drive business success.
News is a valuable asset – use it wisely!
In the next part of this blog, we will look at the mechanisms to be share this news with the media.
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