Some business owners believe being great as a company is enough for the media to take notice. Although that occasionally happens, most companies gain public traction through smart public relations and social media tactics.

Executing a solid PR strategy and creating buzz around your brand may sound daunting, but it doesn't have to be. Here are three tried-and-tested ways to get more media placements and name recognition.

1. Home in on what's unique, and craft your pitches around that

Once you know what differentiates your company from your competitors it’s important to start focusing external messaging on those things.

The goal of every press feature should be to convey at least one message that highlights what differentiates you from competitors. 

Once you determine those one-of-a-kind elements about your business, brain storm different angles to approaching them. For example press features have evolved pasted the press release and now encompass organic product placements such as social media campaigns, television/streaming content and many more outlets. 

Over the years, collaborations have generated countless media placements for our company and its partners. Take them seriously, and associate with people who do the same. Using blogs, social media, email, and other channels, promote your partners generously, and you'll both reap the benefits.

So remain open to new opportunities and platforms!

2. Highlight the people being the brand, not just the products 

Many writers resist the idea of promoting a company directly but instead seek to feature the stories of the people that have created said product or service.  Take advantage of that approach and help them put a human touch in their stories. 

Other techniques of storytelling include:

• Industry blogs that you could improve by offering short quotes from your in-house experts. For instance, if I read a good article and feel that one of our executives could make it even better, I reach out and offer to help. The company gets mentioned, our website receives a backlink, and we share the piece extensively on our channels. Everybody wins.

• Websites that aren't in your space but cover topics your C-suite could comment on. If I enjoy a lifestyle publication, I won't hold back from pitching our team on topics such as productivity, working from home, or even health. Your colleagues' insights can be just what that writer is looking for. 

3. Cross-promote with like minded brands

Things get slow sometimes. You might feel that you've exhausted all your stories and your entire list of target publications. However, putting your PR on hold isn't an option.

So, what do you do when nothing's happening? Publicists makes things happen.

Publicists are always thinking of all the companies their clients could partner with and reach out to them with cross-promotion ideas. It's a tried and true way to ensure that clients always have storyangles for media to consider. 

How do we choose those companies? Here are a few jumping-off points:

• Start with businesses that offer services complementary to yours. For instance, a lead generation platform and an email verification service are a co-marketing match made in heaven. If you run a grammar checker, you could partner with a company that offers an alternative to Microsoft Word. Does your tool already integrate with others? Then building connections should be a breeze.

• Look at companies right outside your space. Let's say your business offers online yoga classes. Then pinpoint health food companies with some creative cross-promotion ideas! Reach out to other wellbeing businesses, as well.

• Keep broadening your circle and consider less obvious options. A travel agency could join PR forces with a footwear company and promote comfortable sneakers to wear on vacation. A workout app could partner with a music streaming service. 

Golden Tip: Put the audience first: It's always the best PR tactic

When pursuing positive PR and brand awareness, focus on what would most engage the audience of your target publications. Journalists don't work for our clients; they work for their readers. Use that as an anchor for every pr campaign created, and you'll get more reactions—and more PR for your business.