Beyond Press Releases: 7 Modern Media Relations Tactics That Guarantee Coverage

The press release was the main and only way to communicate with the media for a significant period. It was the sole way of announcing events, product launches, and many more. 

However, the business landscapes have changed overtime and, in the fast-paced and digital media environment of Dubai, the simple press release falls short of guaranteeing comprehensive coverage. Journalists and editors in the bustling city of Dubai are receiving numerous such releases, and this might be one of the reasons why a simple press release gets totally neglected. 

Brands that dream of having a huge break in the current competitive market need to change their strategy from simply announcing to a modern way of conveying unique stories. Further, brands that want their exposure to be impactful in this fast-paced market, the collaboration with PR Companies in Dubai needs to be a vital option. This article will guide you on how to use seven media relations tactics that go beyond the press release and guide your brand to attract attention and ensure valuable coverage.

7 Modern Media Relations Tactics That Guarantee Coverage

1. Insightful articles and expert viewpoints 

In the rapidly changing Dubai media landscape, analysts with expertise are always in demand to provide complete historical information on the economic trends and innovations in the industry. 

It is no longer the simple promotion of the product that is the goal. And it is the representation of your company as a trusted leader. Furthermore, it's about conveying the deep insights, comments, and valuable information on current events.  

Adding opinions to events like a professional analyst will highlight your brand and company among journalists. Convey things in a unique way, which brings a space for big discussion. 

When the reporters are aware that they can always get a smart storyline on a hot topic from your executives, your brand gets guaranteed coverage, usually on the front pages or in the top online spots mainly because it is the quickest and most attention-grabbing source available. This manner packs in the whole marketing of brands that gain authority and recognition.

2. Data-Driven Storytelling and Research Reports

In the current market, many brands bring a variety of products and solutions. However, they reach a minimal targeted audience. A short press release regarding the product launch will never bring your brand into the limelight. However, sharing a technically driving experience, opinions, and facts can grab the attention of the media. Some brands often overlook the crucial role of journalists as news and fact hunters. 

They always have the hunger to get fresh insights, accurate information, and key points that can be a trending headline. Here is a quick example, in case a company launches its product, and the company issues a report stating that the millennials in the UAE have adopted the new trendy product.

Now this small content can impress the local press, and this drives the journalists to pen a complete, detailed article.

However, the entire process is time-consuming as it needs to conduct real research. Ensuring that the output is very good, trustworthy, and adds real value to the journalist’s audience. 

Further, when media companies get exclusive access to data and statistics that reveal something new and interesting about the market, they can use it to their advantage. Then they are very likely to cover the story. Moreover, this kind of content gets shared a lot, thus increasing your audience many times over the first publication. A professional PR agency in Dubai can make your data suitable for the localities, and have it in a great story that the regional editor would always hunt for new trending facts.

3. Hyper-Localised and Bilingual Content

Dubai must account for its multicultural nature, as the universal way of communicating may not always bring fruitful results. As you know, Dubai media focuses its content on English audiences and also delivers unique and engaging content in Arabic. So, bilingual content creation makes a huge difference. In addition, the media verifies that all content suits the Dubai local culture and avoids disturbing any sensitive topics.

So, for your content to reach the maximum audience, it has to be pure in all these languages.

High-quality Arabic should be used for a Dubai audience. On the other hand, a story conveyed to the foreign business community may be based on worldwide investment and economic performance and presented in English. The more the content is connected personally to the audience, the greater the reach. 

4. Strategic Influencer and Micro-Creator Partnerships

People in Dubai interact a lot on social media and believe in digital content. And the current-day social media acts as a major bridge for brands to reach their targeted audience. The digital creators are shaping themselves into a different range, from macro-influencers to niche micro-creators.

In the modern age of media, building relationships with these digital storytellers is equally important, along with traditional journalists. The public generally gives more credit to the opinions and recommendations of a local influencer than to a press release.

The main point that leads to success is being real and going after micro-influencers who have a particular audience that coincides perfectly with the brand's niche would be the best strategy for the brands. 

Co-creating content that is very natural and attractive instead of taking a shot across the bow of the whole market would be the right approach.

The partnership should extend far beyond Ads and function as a way to craft a compelling brand story. In case of large-scale promotions, numerous companies get the assistance of well-known PR companies in Dubai that have already built up vast and trustworthy networks of local as well as regional influencers.

5. SEO-Driven PR and Link-Building

The relationship between modern media relations and search engine optimization is remarkably strong. In today's world, good trending news is judged both by the audience size and also by how strong the backlink to your site is. 

These days, Dubai PR companies are making relevant content filled with important backlinks from the most significant news sites. This SEO strategy has the dual effect of giving positive coverage and, at the same time, uplifting your domain authority and organic search rankings.

In order to apply this strategy, the first step is to find out the "money keywords" for which your targeted audience is looking. After that, make your media pitch content with those keywords. You aim to get a writer to hyperlink to your site and use that particular keyword as the anchor text. 

Anchor text is clickable and drives your audience from the current existing website page to another website. 

Apart from building public relations this strategy also turns it into an impactful performance-marketing channel. Getting high-quality backlinks from recognised regional news sources will drastically improve your digital press visibility, making it easier for customers to find your company when looking for industry-related terms. 

6. Proactive News Hijacking and Trend-Jumping

In an extremely high-speed market where news perishes within hours. The Dubai PR Company executives monitor both regional and global happenings and are looking for chances to 'hijack' a story that is already trending. The process requires lots of cleverness, placing the brand's viewpoint in the existing scenario.

To clearly explain, let's take an instance when the UAE government has a new plan on renewable energy, a solar technology company can instantly enter with a statement from their CEO that will deliver expert analysis on the economic impact and technical challenges. This quick reply is powerful since the reporter has already engaged with the topic and needs credible, value-added content to round off the report. This tactic is all about speed and providing a genuine contribution to the public discourse, and is certainly more than product promotion.  

7. Interactive Digital Experiences and Events

The last tactic is the most powerful one. Overcoming the traditional way of giving information and implementing the new way of interacting with the journalist is a proven technique.

Cities like Dubai, which are known for their events and digital innovations, will create media opportunities that are both colorful and fabulous in terms of being newsworthy.

Instead of dropping a new product's photo through email, it's better to throw an exclusive, interactive event for a small group of the very best journalists.

The reason can be explained with a small instance: a property developer arranges an augmented reality about his new project, thus providing the journalists with an exclusive story and unique visual materials that no one else can have. 

This makes the media bring your brand as the journalists share their personal experience. This strategic, experience-focused approach is the signature of successful PR Companies in Dubai who understand that in the Middle East, media is often determined by stunning visuals and the best access to the 'next big thing.'

Conclusion

The press release is a limited means of communication in the highly competitive Dubai market. The above media relations strategies can be a great solution. By continually implementing each of these seven strategies, your brand can make a great mark across the UAE market and even elsewhere. The challenges in the current market can be easily handled and made into stepping stones with the support of creative digital influencers and journalists.