Publish or perish

That’s an expression from the hallowed halls of academe.  Young profs looking to secure a tenured position were expected to write and publish research in scholarly journals to build a profile and move ahead.

How does this apply to PR?  

More and more, we’re becoming content creators for our clients and ourselves. And we’re evolving into publishers rather than simply relying on media as the conduit to the people we’re trying to reach.

Here are five things to consider when wearing your publisher’s hat:

1. Decide on your goals and choose the best vehicle(s) to accomplish them. Maybe it’s a blog, an online newsroom, a dynamic Facebook page, a podcast or some combination of the above.  And if it is a blog – the person authoring it should love to write.
2. Join the community. Do your research to determine who your audience is, what’s available to them, who the thought-leaders are and what your niche will be. Then listen and participate before you publish so people can get to know you.
3. Make sure you have amazing stories and tell them in a way that no one else does.  Your voice should sound like you – that’s harder than you think. Be as original as you can. Pay attention to your readers. And if you get something wrong, admit it…fast. You’re building relationships, not selling.
4. Establish an editorial schedule.  In the olden days of social media (three years ago), we had a hippiesque attitude of ‘publish whenever you feel like it’.  But as @ginidietrich says, consistency is key. Consider how many times a week (or month) you’re able to post and across which platforms.  Plan it out with themes, recurring features and room for community feedback.  And then stick to the schedule as best you can so people know what to expect and hopefully look forward to it. (It’s just after 5 p.m., so you can see I’m still working on this one!)
5. Get things right from a technical perspective. That means stepping up research, writing style, editing and copy editing (including making all the links live), proofreading, visuals and – again having something to say.

PR people used to think in terms of getting the news out and wleft the editorial calendars to the MSM. However, with social media we should think and behave like the publishers we are.

I’d be interested to hear your thoughts.

About Martin Waxman

Martin Waxman, MCM, is a digital communications strategist. He conducts AI research, leads digital and social media training workshops and speaks at events across North America. He's co-founder of two PR agencies, president of a consultancy and has worked in the industry for nearly 30 years. Martin is a LinkedIn Learning instructor, teaches digital strategy and social media at McMaster University, the Schulich School of Business, University of Toronto SCS and Seneca College. He's a member of the Institute for Public Relations Digital Media Research Center and a past-chair of PRSA Counselors Academy. He has a Master of Communications Management (MCM) from McMaster-Syracuse Universities.

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