Craft a PR hit with these digital tools

Journalists today are bombarded with pitches—making it harder for PR pros to stand out to secure coverage or place a source.

Additionally, the entire structure of the modern newsroom has evolved, making public relations more challenging than it has been in a long time.

That’s why it’s essential for today’s PR pro to be more of a “PR hustler,” says Katie Creaser, leader of the social media practice at Affect. “To be successful now, you must be more opportunistic and entrepreneurial as a content producer,” she explains.

Here are her quick tips for breaking out of the traditional PR rut by embracing what she calls the “new PR hit”—taking your message directly to the public using an array of new digital platforms:

1. Think like a publisher—try Tumblr and Medium. You need a promotional plan to be successful on self-publishing platforms like Tumblr or Medium, says Creaser. At minimum, a promotional plan should answer the following questions:

What is my target audience on this platform? “This includes identification of influencers for your industry on the platform you’re considering and an action plan to engage them there,” Creaser says.