Maintaining a positive reputation in the media is a vital marketing strategy for any business; your image as a company can either build or destroy your brand.
In some cases, it’s only after a crisis where crisis management is needed that companies realize the importance of a well-handled brand in the media.
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Fortunately, there are different approaches that a company can take to maintain a good image.
Here are some of the ways to maintain good reputation in the media:
Hire A Media Agency
A media agency is an organization that aids businesses in marketing and promoting themselves to the media. Also, a media agency advises businesses on where and how to market and how to present themselves in a positive light to the general public. The expertise of media agencies in executing such dynamics will allow a company to have a good image.
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Depending on your line of business, you can consult media agencies that specialize in particular areas, such as sports, entertainment, reality television, film, advertising for example.
Entities such as media companies in London will often have an array of different jobs available to them, allowing them to work for any size of business–from a small business that needs just a few jobs to a larger company that needs dozens of different media jobs.
Let’s take a closer look at the services provided by media agencies:
- Services Provided: Media agencies take care of your company’s marketing and promotions by assisting businesses in finding the right kinds of advertising space on websites, in print ads, on television, and in magazines and newspapers.
Others focus strictly on event marketing by working with companies to arrange the necessary contracts for media events, such as seminars, trade shows, conventions, and meetings. Others specialize in internet marketing and promotions.
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These agencies are adept at dealing with various kinds of clients. For instance, they can engage in work experience for fashion designers, retailers, advertising agencies, or real estate companies. Regardless of your industry, you’ll be able to find a media agency to handle media dynamics for you in a positive strategy.
- Material Distribution: Media agencies also handle the distribution of the client’s promotional literature. It’s important to make sure that any literature, such as brochures, catalogs, and business cards, communicates a positive message. These printed materials are usually designed to promote the products and services of the client.
Media agencies can also create sample scripts for TV commercials and music videos. They can write articles and create press releases for their clients. They can give product samples to prospective customers and conduct surveys to determine the client’s needs.
Public Relations Strategy
Public Relations (PR) strategies are crucial as these are highlighted in the media. PR tackles corporate identity, mass media, advertising, public opinion, and communication with the aim of positively branding the company.
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PR means monitoring the mainstream media, radio, and TV for any negative or neutral comment about a particular product or service. By collecting this data, a strategy needs to be implemented to counter the negative or neutral narrative.
This task is made possible by the constant research and analysis of the various issues that arise in the market. The main article is prepared and submitted to various media outlets by the PR professionals themselves or by freelance writers and editors. After getting the main article ready, the articles are often published in various media outlets.
The key role played by PR in the communication process is to inform the public about a particular issue or dilemma in the interest of the common good. For instance, if there’s a natural disaster, such as a flood, the state’s top officials will make a news conference to assure the people that the water will be drained as soon as possible.
Hence, through an effective communication process, the message that has been conveyed across to the masses is understood and disseminated.
Community Business Management
Community-based management is one of the strategies used in business-community relations. This approach concentrates on encouraging people to become active participants in the local area and to be aware of their actions and their rights as a citizen of that community.
An effective community-based management system can bring together the interests of different businesses within a single organization, thereby catalyzing change. Such systems would provide training and information on community organization and management, as well as provide opportunities for individuals to get involved.
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One effective way of encouraging people to become involved in the community is by convincing them to volunteer. It would help if the business owner themself has started an environmental program at the local recycling centre, among other things.
These volunteer activities would then serve as a platform for getting people to be a part of. Volunteerism is also important because it brings people into direct contact with each other.
Community based managed projects may be highlighted in various media outlets such as radio or local print. When consumers associate a company with community development as a result of media visibility, the company is rewarded with positive branding within the community.
Social Media Campaign
Social media campaigns are aimed at making a positive impact in the digital space through the promotion of products, services, and brands. Social media marketing campaign involves the use of various online tools like blogs, podcasts, message boards, video sharing sites, and social networking sites, like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
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Though both terms–online marketing and e-marketing–are generally dominant in academic circles, social media campaigns are fast becoming more popular for researchers and practitioners alike.
Media is constantly drawing from social media visibility to construct news articles. You can be sure that one of the company’s followers on social media is news outlets. In fact, news outlets may be the first to flag and negative narratives and the first to highlight positive sentiments that result from a social media campaign.
One of the most prominent current examples of social media campaign tools is Instagram. Instagram has recently launched a new feature that allows users to upload pictures. Users can then share these images with their friends and other users within their network.
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This allows business owners to post a short message about any upcoming event, product launch, or even their photos. With the help of this feature, your brand’s images and other information can be shared with a much larger audience, which can lead to direct reportage by media.
Network With Media Houses
The first step to positively network with media houses is to develop your skills and knowledge base. The way you network with media houses will determine how your brand is portrayed in the media.
That being said, it’s important that you study current trends in the media so you’ll have a good conversation rate. Also, take note of which you interact with and attend conferences where you can network with media personnel and representatives.
Once you understand the purpose behind networking, you’ll be able to speak with media personnel in the same language, allowing you to add value and connect with many people at the same time.
Networking can be done through traditional methods, such as making contact at conferences and networking events. Networking can also be done via social media channels such as social networking websites, like Twitter and Facebook.
Through these channels, you’ll be able to build long-term relationships with others and forge new ones, providing your network with endless networking and branding opportunities.
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Positive Consumer Care
Always keep in mind that your consumers are the quickest channel to media. There have been instances where consumers have taken their disgruntles onto social media platforms regarding treatment.
These experiences and accounts of the brands then caught the attention of the media at large. Media personnel then got a hold of the consumers and did a piece on the ill-treatment by the brand.
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Your company should avoid such scenarios by making sure that any reviews offered by consumers on social media are positive as this has a ripple effect regarding media visibility.
Some of the ways that your company can implement positive customer care include:
- Effective communication
- Transparency
- Delivering quality products and services
- Swiftly rectifying any errors
- Touching base with customers to check if they’re satisfied with products and services
- Training the workforce to deliver quality care
Conclusion
Keeping a good reputation in the media requires intentional strategies. Your company won’t go wrong by hiring experts in the form of media agencies. Media agencies know the strategies to promote your business and how to communicate with your audience in a positive manner.
You should also focus on a PR strategy that connects you to the public. Always research the sentiment on your brand and re-write negative narratives. Community management is also another strategy for your business to have a good reputation in the media because it’ll grab the attention of the media.
Social media campaigns form some of the media news pieces. Make sure that your campaigns generate the interest of the public so it’ll catch the attention of the media. Forming rapport through networking with media personnel is also another way to positively brand your company in the media.
