Digital PR Approach
At Bubblegum Search, we offer a three-pronged approach to digital PR that covers the tactics: expert commentary, reactive and proactive work, and larger creative data-led or Hero campaigns.
We are also flexible. We can either work exclusively on whatever prong suits your current business needs and budget or mix and match tactics to create a customised digital PR strategy just for you.
Let’s find out more about what each of the three prongs involves.
Expert Commentary
At Bubblegum Search, we specialise in positioning YOU as the go-to expert in your field to earn valuable links in the high-tier press, and this is where expert commentary comes in.
Expert commentary in digital PR can help increase a brand’s credibility. Experts and the commentary they share are seen as informative, reliable, and authoritative, so when used correctly, the insights they share can boost the trustworthiness of digital PR efforts. Simply put, expert commentary is valuable information from those who know about a topic packaged and pushed out to relevant press.
At Bubblegum Search, we source expert commentary from;
- Our in-house experts
- Our invaluable clients
- Our media contacts — such as partnerships we form from Twitter(X) or other social media platforms. For example, for a recent campaign, an expert in wild plant foraging shared valuable expertise with us.
What other benefits are there to expert commentary as a PR tactic?
1. You can combine it with other tactics.
2. You react to industry news.
Expert commentary isn’t limited to proactive PR but can shine in reactive PR, too. Prompt and knowledgeable expert commentary can be pitched to engage with trending or breaking news stories. At Bubblegum Search, we monitor these opportunities so that we can position our clients to respond with their expertise swiftly and become a valuable part of the conversation.
3. You can add authority to data.
4. You can build journalistic credibility.
Reactive and Proactive PR
Here at Bubblegum Search, we spot a trend coming from a mile away, and this insight feeds into our proactive planned work and reactive work, where moving quickly is of the utmost importance. Let’s start with our reactive tactics:
Reactive PR
Although reactive PR can overlap with expert commentary, it’s a speciality in its own right because it goes one step beyond what expert commentary does. It is almost like creating a new story, but one that is connected to and fits with a pressing news matter or trend.
For example, we may utilise reactive PR in the following ways:
- Repurpose and promote existing content to maximise its impact
- Respond to journalist requests, breaking news, and recognised trends
- Contribute new data or expert commentary to the ongoing news cycle
- Address any negative coverage or criticism in our clients' industry to minimise damage to brand reputation
When a news story breaks, or a trend begins to take traction, journalists must cover it immediately; speed is everything.
Our approach at Bubblegum Search is to stay alert, analyse the right stories or trends to cover, and contribute to the conversation in a way that offers value. It’s not just about discussing what is happening; offering something new and responding promptly is critical.
Some of the steps we take to keep up with this speedy prong of digital PR are:
- We monitor the news cycle and social media platforms
- We utilise search tools to track relevant news and trends
- We set up Google alerts to help us stay in the know on topics
Reactive PR differs from other tactics because it doesn’t always guarantee large numbers of backlinks. However, reactive PR is fantastic at showcasing our clients as industry experts and thought leaders. Therefore, we often use reactive PR tactics alongside proactive PR or other more extensive, data-driven campaigns in a strategy that covers all bases.
Another thing that sets reactive PR apart from other PR tactics is that it does not require the same extensive research, imagination, or data analysis as larger PR campaigns; it requires a keen eye on trends. Unlike proactive PR, reactive PR is spontaneous since the stories it produces are entirely unexpected.
Proactive PR
Proactive PR is exactly what it sounds like. It’s being proactive in the digital marketing landscape and planning for news or events that we know will happen and interest the media.
For example, this might look like:
- Sports events
- Holidays like Halloween and Christmas
- National or international awareness days
- Annual events like Fashion Week or the Oscars
- Weather and seasonal stories we know get picked up year-on-year, such as hay fever advice in allergy season.
But it could also look like cyclical events in the industries and brands we work with!
At Bubblegum Search, we spend time researching our client’s field to understand these proactive opportunities better and when they are likely to occur. We ensure we are prepared to cover them with a fully-fledged campaign or an invaluable expert comment, whatever best fits the landscape for that given opportunity.
The benefit of being organised, looking ahead, and preplanning is having the time to create something special for the media. We can even reach out to journalists at dream publications ahead of time to better understand what they need for their stories and secure coverage as early as possible.
For proactive PR work, we might:
- Produce original research or statistics
- Prepare client comments to include in other PR work
- Create tools or onsite assets to support press releases
- Promote newsworthy events like a product launch or change of premises
Working ahead means avoiding some red tape that can come with reactive, off-the-cuff work. It’s valuable to be able to get sign-off ahead of time. But it also means we can change or tweak stories as the news cycle changes.
Proactive PR is slightly more refined than reactive PR, offering greater personalisation and the opportunity to stand out and create something unique.
Creative, data-led, or Hero Campaigns
Last but by no means least is creative, data-led, or Hero campaign work, where we analyse data and ideate original and highly creative concepts to make valuable stories and insights that journalists, the media, and audiences will love.
It is our most extensive digital PR tactic and can pay dividends done correctly.
Regarding data-led campaigns, the data can come from many sources, such as industry reports, surveys, social media analytics, and official or in-house datasets. At Bubblegum Search, we analyse the data we find and create to uncover the trends and insights that matter. We aim to find the most valuable, appropriate, and timely insights to improve PR strategy and impact.
What is different about creative, data-led, or Hero campaigns?
Let’s see how creative, data-led, or Hero campaign types differ from other digital PR tactics.
Evidence-based storytelling
The campaigns' stories are based on factual, verifiable information, making them more credible and authoritative.
Media appeal
Journalists and the media seek stories supported by concrete data and original thought. These campaigns provide substantiated content that can attract media coverage and generate the right buzz.
Long-term impact
Campaigns like these can create insights that lead to evergreen content that remains relevant over time, unlike other tactics, like reactive PR, which have a shorter lifespan.
Targeted insights
Campaigns can often be customised based on data insights or original ideas for specific groups. This targeted approach can make the content more relevant and engaging for the intended audience, increasing interest.
Enhanced credibility
Using data and creativity to support the stories we create helps position our clients and brands as thought leaders and authoritative sources in their industry. This is especially crucial at a time when audiences are savvy, knowledgeable and sceptical about much of what they see online and in the news.
What is different about creative, data-led, or Hero campaigns?
Using data and creativity to tell stories and reach the right audience positions the client as an authoritative powerhouse. With a suitable dataset and the right idea, clients can build authority, get media attention, and connect with audiences.
Additionally, these more extensive campaigns can improve audience engagement and ROI and help build trust within and outside industries.
What do creative, data-led, or Hero campaigns include?
The execution and strategy of creative, data-led, or Hero campaigns
- Provide a resource for journalists that explores broader concepts.
- Craft well-researched, methodical, and detailed stories.
- Create completely fresh content for journalists.
- Generate evergreen and relevant content.
- Build and enhance thought leadership.
- Entertain! Creative campaigns have the exciting potential to be distinctive, enjoyable, and capable of making a significant impact and resonating with audiences.