5 proven PR strategies for sustainable brands
As an expert in PR for sustainable brands, I am excited to share my proven strategies for generating free media coverage. Over the years, I have discovered effective techniques that don't require a paid PR budget, allowing sustainable brands to gain valuable exposure and build their brand value. In this article, I will share with you five strategies that have worked wonders for me. So, fellow PR professionals, get ready to unlock the power of free media coverage!
Strategy 1: Harness the power of Twitter hashtags
One of the most effective ways to discover media requests and opportunities for sustainable brands is through monitoring relevant hashtags on Twitter.
Hashtags like #journo, #journorequest, or #haro are attracting quite a few journalists seeking stories related to sustainability.
One way to get free coverage is by monitoring these journalist requests. You can also take a more proactive approach: suggest your own compelling stories or expert quotes, and use the same hashtags to get media attention.
Pro tip:
To maximise exposure, I recommend monitoring a comprehensive list of hashtags, including:
#journo, #journorequest, #journorequests, #journolink, #prrequest, #prrequests, #prwanted, #mediarequests, #haro, #blogging, #bloggerrequest, #sourcerequests, and #sourcebottle.
Also, to streamline PR sourcing through Twitter hashtags, you can create a custom board on Hootsuite or any other social listening tool.
Strategy 2: Analyse competitors' backlinks
Competitor analysis is a vital part of any PR strategy. By exploring your competitors' backlinks, you can gain insights into their media coverage and identify trends that resonate with journalists.
Tools like AHREFS, MOZ, or Semrush provide comprehensive backlink analysis, allowing you to sort referring websites by domain authority—a quality score for digital PR opportunities.
I highly recommend investing time in studying your competitors' backlink profiles. This will help you shortlist the media outlets that frequently cover topics related to your business and develop unique story angles that differentiate your brand.
Additionally, by understanding your competitors' backlink strategies, you can prioritise media outlets with higher domain authority, contributing to your brand's SEO efforts. Backlinks from reputable sources not only generate media coverage but also boost your brand's online visibility.
Pro tip:
Check for competitors’ broken backlinks. If a media outlet is linking to an outdated report that is no longer available, it is a low-hanging fruit: you can suggest a new article linking to your fresh report covering the same subject. If they showed interest in covering this topic once, chances are, they will do it again!
Strategy 3: Leverage media relations tools
Media relations tools are a PR professional's best friend when it comes to managing relationships with journalists and identifying media coverage opportunities. These tools function as comprehensive CRMs, offering databases of journalists organised by region, specialisation, and previous works.
Here are some popular media relations tools and their unique features:
Prowly: Prowly provides an extensive journalist database, intuitive pitching features, and automated follow-up reminders. Its user-friendly interface makes it easy to navigate and manage media relations effectively.
Muck Rack: Muck Rack offers a vast journalist database, media monitoring capabilities, and customised media lists. It also provides insights into journalists' social media profiles and recent articles, enabling personalised and tailored pitches.
Cision: Cision combines media database management with robust analytics and monitoring features. It helps PR professionals identify journalists, track coverage, and measure the impact of media campaigns.
Meltwater: Meltwater offers a comprehensive media monitoring and intelligence platform, providing real-time insights into media coverage. It also helps track journalists, build media lists, and analyse media sentiment.
Prezly: Prezly offers a user-friendly interface, media database management, and automated pitching. Its AI-powered features assist in crafting tailored pitches, increasing the chances of media coverage.
In short, these tools simplify the process of finding relevant journalists, organising media lists, and streamlining pitching efforts (think AI-assisted pitch writing based on a journalist’s article history!).
Pro tip:
Don’t focus too much energy on hunting for top-tier media. They are normally looking for very niche expert input, e.g. from an operations manager of a carbon storage facility in Manchester; or require very high-profile experts, ignoring anyone else.
You will be more likely to secure coverage by matching a smaller media’s request as closely as possible, rather than by chasing after top-tier media.
Strategy 4: Engage with expert source platforms
Expert source platforms like Help a Reporter Out (HARO), SourceBottle, and Qwoted connect brands with journalists that are actively seeking expert sources for their stories. Leveraging these platforms is an effective way to secure media coverage opportunities for sustainable brands.
Instead of cold messaging journalists, these platforms allow you to respond directly to media requests, increasing the likelihood of your insights being featured.
By proactively engaging with these platforms and responding promptly to relevant queries, you position yourself as a valuable resource, attracting media attention and generating free media coverage for your sustainable brand.
Pro tip:
You can set up email filtering rules for Outlook (I believe, for other email apps, too) to cut through the noise and receive only media requests that are relevant to your niche.
Many of the above PR tools offer limited free subscription plans. However, the paid plans are quite reasonably priced, and are totally worth it.
If you leverage a bit of each of them, you can get a constant inflow of relevant “hot” media opportunities. No more desperate “cold” chasing!
Strategy 5: Join Slack channels to establish PR partnerships
The power of networking should never be underestimated. There are online communities like ClimateAction.Tech and Work on Climate that connect thousands of like-minded professionals worldwide.
By joining thematic Slack channels, you gain access to potential content partnerships, guest posting opportunities, link exchange collaborations, social media cross-promotion projects, exchange of industry knowledge and best practices, invitations to online and offline meet-ups, and more. At no cost!
In short, Slack communities serve as fertile ground for valuable collaborations and organic media coverage that can propel your sustainable brand to new heights.
Pro tip:
To find Slack communities that are relevant to your sustainable brand, use the “+slack” search operator, e.g. “climate +slack”, “ecommerce +slack”, “sustainability +slack”.
You will be surprised how many opportunities for free content promotion, PR and networking there are!
Conclusion
Generating free media coverage for sustainable brands is an achievable goal with the right strategies in place. By harnessing the power of Twitter hashtags, analysing competitors' backlinks, leveraging media relations tools, engaging with expert source platforms, and joining thematic Slack channels, you can unlock a world of PR opportunities without relying on a paid budget.
I encourage you to implement these strategies and adapt them to your brand's unique needs and goals. Remember, authenticity, value, and a genuine passion for sustainability are the foundations of effective sustainability PR. Embrace these strategies, share your brand's remarkable stories, and let the power of free media coverage amplify your brand's impact in the world of sustainability.
