Welcome back to the 4media group Talking Tactics series, where we’re taking an in-depth look at the tactical elements that can comprise great public relations plans. We’ve already covered what makes a great PR plan, where a satellite media tour can fit in, and how market research is beneficial to any kind of campaign.

And today, we’re here to look at the value of another tactic, this one more often misunderstood than those that have come before it.  We’re talking about native media recommendation. Also called native advertising. Also, perhaps problematically, just referred to as amplification.

One of the reasons native content campaigns are often misunderstood is because native content is a bit of a broad sword. We’ve defined the tactic in the past, and you can read more about it if you need a refresher. But basically, native content campaigns place pieces of content in digital spaces where they appear native – or look like they belong.  It’s this organic feel that makes native content such a valuable tactic.

But where does it fit in with a public relations plan?

Truly, a native content campaign can come at any point in a PR plan. But because of the way native media recommendation typically works, the tactic has special value as a method of propelling other tactics to their greatest height.

Here’s an example:

Let’s say you’ve chosen to perform a satellite media tour as a way of helping people stay safe on rainy roads during the wet season. Your client may be happy with the results, but you’ve set an objective involving a greater number of impressions than you received from the tour. This is a perfect opportunity to run a native media recommendation campaign.

Native media campaigns offer the chance to receive more impressions and foster additional conversation around a point of your tour that went particularly well. If your client was particularly fond of one interview, then you can run native ads on YouTube that get more views; or, you can place native ads with that video on Instagram and Facebook.

Basically, media recommendations are an extremely versatile tactic, which can shift to fit adapting needs across platforms.

Another question we often receive regarding the tactic has to do with a step that comes earlier in the public relations plan: setting an objective. Remember, the objective is the measurable part. This is another space where content recommendation really shines – because it’s super measurable.

Regardless of where you place your content, whether it’s using a tool like Outbrain, on social media, or a combination thereof, you can work with experts in native advertising to establish realistic objectives based on budget constraints and the hopes of your client.

After you’ve set those objectives, keeping a watchful eye on your campaigns makes meeting them relatively easy. If you’re beta-testing different headlines and images, keeping tabs on which publishers are performing well from a click standpoint, and consistently updating your campaign to ensure you’re serving content in its best location, you can garner high click-through rates and massive impression numbers.

In short, native content recommendations are a huge help in almost any public relations plan, and are a tactic that should be built in whenever possible.

Want to work with experts on native media, who have real experience driving results? Just reach out – we’ve got you covered.