You closed a huge deal … The office is shuttering — again … A new hire in sales! … A new office location! … We had a flood, closing for two days to mop up …

Businesses make news every day. And in the age of social media, it’s natural to want to share those events, large and small, on every available platform. This is not a bad idea, but some context is needed. Would you bake a cake without a recipe, or with only some of the ingredients? No. And that’s why you need the right strategy for getting a message out the right way — and to the right audience.

What are you saying?

First, don’t just fire off a Tweet or knock out a blog and throw it up on your website. Speed is not of the essence unless it’s a message to clients or customers about a change or cancellation of an imminent event. Take the time to figure out what you’re saying and how it’s going to be read or heard.

If you are closing for a mandated COVID-19 shutdown, for instance, don’t simply post “We’re closing until further notice.” Be a bit more deliberate (and friendly!) with something like: “Local officials have asked businesses to close in-person hours so they and our health care workers can reduce transmission rates. We are available by phone and email, so please reach out with any needs you have. And please, everyone, take all precautions to keep yourselves safe.”

Where are you saying it?

Now we come to the posting part. For the announcement above, a banner on your website’s home page, a Tweet and a pair of Facebook and LinkedIn quotes should do the trick. But what if this is bigger news, such as a major new hire, product innovation announcement or new location? That’s where having a strategy comes into play.

We’ll go back to our cake metaphor above. Think of the strategy as the recipe. A bit of this, a dash of that, all properly measured and prepared — in order — to achieve the desired result. Yes, it’s simple. And if you’ve ever had a kitchen misfire, you know it can go wrong very quickly if you move too fast or skip a step.

How are you saying it?

The worst thing you can do, especially if your news is not of the feel-good variety, is to throw it out there “to be transparent” and hope for the best. A solid public relations strategy will help you craft messages that are proactive rather than reactive, even when the news isn’t good. Then you’re in control, because you’ve said what you are going to say and can handle concerns and inquiries as they come in.

Want to talk strategy? Contact us at 608-695-6510 or find us on LinkedIn.