As you work on the PR strategy for your membership organisation this year, consider how the landscape is changing and how you could use new considerations to grow your membership during 2022 and beyond.
PR is no longer a simple sell-in and press outreach task. In fact, for the more specialist and dynamic PR services, it never was. But as digital opportunities evolve at an inexplicable pace, and public and audience behaviours and opinions are shifting, you need to be ahead of the curve.
PR in the digital space
Arguably, PR as a service line is no longer a standalone entity, and as such shouldn’t be treated as one. PR and storytelling should underpin all your existing activities online; including SEO, content marketing and social media, to amplify the strength of messaging and the reach of your content.
A good digital PR strategy will enable your membership organisation to develop strong digital links with high domain authority sites, and citations on pages that are prevalent in your sector. Furthermore, your brand story, etched out consistently across your social channels will strengthen the impact of your organic and paid posting.
PR as trust builder
You cannot build trust without developing a believable brand story and journey, and how your story resonates with your audience will lead them back to your content and offering time and time again. So first, consider your membership organisation’s own pain points, history and key defining factors, relating them back to your mission statement and where you sit within your industry. Once potential members understand and follow this, they will be more likely to subscribe emotionally and constructively to your membership offering.
PR as a social commentary
No longer are businesses expected to sit on the side-line of politics and public issues. In a recent survey by Sprout Social, 70% of customers want brands to respond to these issues, and that’s even more important if those issues sit within a specialist sector.
In 2022, there is no excuse for silence when important movements occur, as there is too much opportunity to provide informed and carefully considered opinion. Your PR team needs to ensure that opinion and execution of communication is absolutely akin to your values and tone, for optimum authenticity.
Potential members will want to know what your organisation stands for and whether this aligns with their worldview. You can do this using hashtags, donations, partnerships or larger campaign pieces including advertising and content roll-out.
As your membership organisation moves through 2022, consider what your values are, and how you could live up to these values by communicating with your members. Think about why your organisation exists – and what your organisation is passionate about.
Personalised sell-in
Regardless of how relevant or timely a pitch is, you’ll improve your hit rate by cultivating relationships with journalists and learning their areas of expertise.
Individual emails are the most effective channel for pitching to journalists. Sending out swathes of impersonal, bulk emails will only likely get lost in the ether of the ‘other’ folder at best, and you won’t achieve the coverage you’re looking for. You’re far better off identifying key publications and spending quality time cultivating meaningful relationships with journalists that lead to mutually beneficial partnerships.
PR and influencers
Any PR professional worth their salt will understand the power of influencer marketing, and where appropriate, leverage this booming tactic to amplify their brand’s own story. From macro to mega, influencers provide an engaged audience to present your offering too, and this can be applied to brand awareness and storytelling, as well as product or service offerings.
In the membership sector it is crucial to ensure that if you work with an influencer, that their values and those of their following are completely aligned with your own. Depending on whether you are looking for reach or engagement as your goal, you may wish to opt for a ‘micro-influencer’ who may have a more engaged and proactive, but smaller audience. If you manage to hit the sweet spot of a passionate partner with an engaged following and a perfect product or service, you’ll penetrate a whole new ready-made market.
The PR landscape is totally different from that of even ten years ago, and it will change even more by 2025. Understanding these industry trends will prepare you for what’s to come and enhance your PR strategies throughout 2022 and beyond.
CJ Association Management is an established, specialist association management company providing support services tailored for the membership sector.
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