From Press to Post: Making Your Brand Go Places

The line between press and influencers is fading. Influencers bring big audiences and instant reach. The advantage? You set the rules for content before it hits the feed. For instance, you can review and greenlight posts before they go live. Journalists, on the other hand, provide editorial credibility. This combination delivers both short- and long term-impact.

But the challenges differ. Journalists are harder to get hold of: tight newsroom schedules make multi-day trips tricky. This calls for killer pitches that instantly show the relevance for their audience. Influencers, on the other hand, are looking for a good match on content style, follower profile, and metrics.

As PR experts, we decide when journalists and influencers should go on a press trip together. In some cases, the mix works wonders, especially when experience is key. But it’s not always a perfect match. When journalists have corporate or technical expertise, it’s better not to combine them with influencers. Otherwise, journalists struggle to collect the info, and influencers miss the best content shots.

• Start with a strategy: pick the theme, the location, and the angle to make your story pop.
• Make a smart guest list: not necessarily the biggest names, but the perfect fit for your audience.
• Make it memorable: the on-site experience should be spot-on. Every detail counts.
• Be present: a press trip is not a vacation. Your team is the host and the point of contact.
• Follow up: measure and evaluate output and relationships. Sometimes, the long-term effect is the most valuable.

A press release will get buried in the inbox tomorrow. A well-planned trip brings coverage and relationships that last. We see it time and again: one trip sparks multiple stories, sometimes even months later, and often in the most surprising ways. In a world where everyone fights for attention, nothing beats authentic experiences shared by real people.