Chief Communications and Strategy Officer for CHC: Creating Healthier Communities, PR, CSR and employee engagement expert.
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Whether you’re trying to do more with less budget or are facing increasing competition for attention, a multi-channel marketing mindset could be the solution. Native advertising, paid promotion, social media and self-publishing platforms have blurred the lines between disciplines while also providing today’s marketing and communications leaders with more options. One of the most famous examples of this is the PESO model (paid, earned, shared/social and owned media) developed by Gini Dietrich. I used it so much that I created my own version, the Four Ps of Promotion (Ponzar’s Four Ps), to ensure I leveraged every channel available and maximized multi-channel marketing:
1. Promote
Start promoting using your own channels: your website, blog, newsletters, executive communications, email marketing, virtual and in-person events, social media channels and more. We even developed special sections on our website for extra promotional and partnership value. In addition to using all of your channels, it’s also important to create compelling content, such as photos, memes, videos, infographics, toolkits, reports or white papers. Take advantage of platforms you don’t own but that you can use to publish your content to a broader audience. Think Medium, Thrive Global, Patch, LinkedIn’s publishing feature and Buzzfeed’s community. You can control your message on these channels; plus, best of all, you don’t have to pay to do it. No budget? No problem.
2. Pitch
To most communicators, earned media is the platinum standard that earns instant credibility — especially securing an article written by The Associated Press, The Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today or other top media outlets. And I’ve secured all those and many more. But elite media coverage is often not possible. Sometimes you need to pitch your story to a niche outlet, like a trade publication, local media, alumni magazine or blog. And sometimes you can’t get that coverage either. That’s why a multi-channel approach matters for marketers — because your job is to get the word out by whatever means necessary.
3. Partner
One of the best ways to amplify your message is through partners. For a thank-you promotion, we created graphics and enlisted top global nonprofits to join us for a social media blitz. The result was 1 million social media impressions and 850 engagements. Similarly, for our recent health equity campaign, we built toolkits with graphics and text to help our board, nonprofit and corporate partners promote our cause through email, social media and more. Guest posting, especially with micro-influencers, is another great way to partner. Guest posts are some of the most popular content on our website. You can post on relevant partner websites and ask them to post on yours as well; plus, both of you can cross-promote to your constituencies. Cause marketing is another ideal way to partner, as co-branding and co-promotion can magnify both of your brands for a good cause.
4. Pay
When the other Ps aren’t enough or you need a broader audience, paid channels can expand your reach. The more you spend, the more you (supposedly) can reach. The options are endless: TV, radio, newspapers, trade and association magazines, digital and online ads, billboards, web banner ads, ads in newsletters, sponsored emails, promoted social media, Google AdWords (paid) and Google Ad Grants (free for select nonprofits). You can also buy lists and send direct mail pieces. If you ask, you can buy almost every channel for a price.
Paid media can also be in-kind, as we recently received quite a few donated billboards for one of our campaigns. Plus, some organizations pay firms or an agency to secure donated media or public service announcements. Even if the media itself is free, the fee for placement can be substantial.
Many paid channels increasingly mimic earned media, whether it’s native advertising, sponsored content, radio and satellite media tours, North American Precis Syndicate (NAPS) releases or outlets where you can pay to post articles. Technically, even paying to send a press release over the wire is paid media. (If you build a media list and send it yourself, the press release is “free.”) You can also pay a PR firm or booking agency to secure media interviews, which blends the lines between pitching and paid media.
Speakers’ bureaus and celebrity talent agencies have also made it easier than ever for almost every brand to partner with influencers. I went through a speakers’ bureau to hire a nationally known finance columnist to do a radio media tour about a free tax prep program. I paid for the speaker and the radio media tour, but it resulted in countless interviews.
At the end of the day, it’s not about which catchy acronym or model you use. You can use my four Ps or the PESO model or create your own. The goal is the same: reaching your audience by using every channel at your disposal.
Once you’re maximizing multi-channel promotions, you can worry about determining which channels work best and redoubling your efforts there. For more, read my post, Are You Selling The Cheese Spread? 16 Easy Ways To Measure Your Marketing.
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