As a consumer, you may have faced a familiar choice: buy one carefully made pair of shoes, or spend the same amount on two cheaper pairs. The comparison is not exact, but it reflects a question that often comes up in PR: how should we balance quantity and quality?
Some clients focus on numerical targets and want as many articles as possible. Others place greater value on a substantial story that explains what they offer to consumers or business customers. A PR consultant naturally wants to create visibility, but the number of mentions should not be the only consideration.
Understand the media context
When this article first appeared in 2014, the shift from print to online was already changing our daily work. Publications were adapting their business models, and some titles were disappearing. Comparing article totals from one year with another did not always capture the effect of those changes.
A target based only on the number of publications can therefore miss the wider picture. The important question is what the coverage contributes: who it reaches, what it explains and how it supports the client’s objectives.
Create content that meets an audience need
Much of PR’s value lies in developing relevant content for particular media and their readers. Ideally, that work is also connected with marketing and social activity, so that the different parts of the communications plan support one another.
This is easier to say than to do. In B2B communications, finding an original angle, a timely subject or a useful local customer story can take considerable effort. Companies often begin with the product, even though the product is only one part of the story.
A reader may be more interested in the business problem it solves, the experience of somebody using it or the implications of a wider development. Finding that connection is central to effective content creation.
Give a strong story the time it needs
Developing a story into an interview, a substantial article, a blog or an opinion piece usually requires more time than distributing a short announcement. It may involve gathering background, speaking with customers and helping a spokesperson explain the subject clearly.
That effort can create a more useful result. Readers have a reason to engage when a story addresses their questions and needs. The organisation also has an opportunity to explain its contribution in greater depth.
Our customer reference work is one way to make that connection: a concrete example can show what a product or service means in practice.
Quality does not always mean length
Not every story needs to be a long feature. A short item in the right place can be valuable too. The point is to judge whether the content is relevant, clear and useful to the audience, rather than assuming that more words—or more mentions—automatically mean a better outcome.
In a crowded information environment, a brand needs a reason to earn somebody’s attention. A tailored approach gives it a stronger basis for doing so.
Agree what success looks like
Moving away from purely numerical targets is not always easy. A local team may be working with objectives set elsewhere, and “quality” can be difficult to define consistently.
That is part of the agency’s advisory role. Discuss the objectives, the desired audiences and the qualities that make coverage useful before assessing the results. Volume can remain part of the picture without becoming the whole picture.
As a technology PR agency, Progress Communications helps clients turn specialist knowledge into relevant stories. Talk to us about what meaningful PR results would look like for your organisation.
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