PR Guide
Turn a news mention into lasting visibility.
Case studySpotify Wrapped
What Spotify did
Spotify turned people's listening activity into a personal story about their year. Its Wrapped campaign extended that idea into fan experiences, artist installations and opportunities to compare listening habits with others. The audience's own interests were at the centre of the campaign.
The principle to apply
Make your information meaningful to the people you want to reach. A finding about their habits, challenges or decisions can give them a reason to pay attention and talk about it. The transferable lesson is audience relevance, not the budget or scale of Spotify's campaign.
How to use it in your PR
Look for a useful pattern in information your business genuinely holds. Define the period and sample, check the finding, protect customer privacy and explain its practical significance. Avoid presenting a small group of your customers as the whole market.
Example for a smaller business
A recruitment firm could review its own records to identify which interview questions candidates ask most often. If a clear pattern exists, it could explain what employers should learn from it. The expert quote should interpret the finding and offer advice, rather than simply promote the firm.
Your next step
Write down one real question your records could answer for your audience. Verify the answer before turning it into a brief. If you have no reliable data, contribute a clearly framed professional opinion instead of inventing a statistic.
Independent campaign example; not a Sitetrail client claim. The practical application is our interpretation of the campaign.
Case studyVaseline Verified
What Vaseline did
People were already sharing tips and supposed uses for Vaseline online. The brand and its agencies tested those ideas and used videos to show which stood up to scrutiny and which were myths. They joined an existing conversation by bringing evidence to it.
The principle to apply
Find a question or misconception your audience already cares about, then use real expertise to help resolve it. Your contribution becomes useful because it explains something people are uncertain about. Evidence is the substance of the story, rather than an unsupported claim that your brand is best.
How to use it in your PR
List three questions clients repeatedly ask. Choose one you can answer within your expertise. Explain the common assumption, what reliable evidence or a documented demonstration shows, and the practical lesson. Be clear about the limits of your conclusion.
Example for a smaller business
A software consultant could examine the assumption that buying a new tool automatically saves staff time. With a documented example, they could explain how setup and training affect the result. The quote should help buyers ask better questions, not promise savings the evidence does not establish.
Your next step
Complete this sentence: “People often assume [belief], but [evidence] shows [more accurate explanation]. That matters because [practical consequence].” Check each part before submitting it. If you cannot substantiate it, choose a different question.
Independent campaign example; not a Sitetrail client claim. The practical application is our interpretation, not skincare advice.
Case studyDuolingo's Dead Duo
What Duolingo did
Duolingo built a social mystery around the supposed death of its owl mascot, Duo. People could follow the story and join the conversation. In its shareholder report, the company attributed 1.7 billion organic impressions and an increase in new and returning users to the campaign.
The principle to apply
Give people something to participate in, and connect that attention to a useful next action. For your business, that might mean helping readers assess a problem, compare experiences or ask a better question. You do not need to imitate Duolingo's humour or fictional storyline.
How to use it in your PR
Choose a real issue your audience recognises. Offer a clear expert perspective and a practical action they can take. When your article goes live, share it with a question that invites relevant responses. Be available to answer them.
Example for a smaller business
A business adviser commenting on supplier disruption could give readers three questions to ask about their backup arrangements. Their LinkedIn post could ask which part of contingency planning readers find hardest. This connects the article to a useful professional conversation.
Your next step
Decide what you want a reader to understand or do after reading your article. Prepare one helpful question for your social post. Judge the response by the relevance of the conversations it creates, rather than expecting a famous brand's audience numbers.
Independent campaign example; not a Sitetrail client claim. Reported results are Duolingo's; the practical application is our interpretation.
Practical PR adviceGive people a reason to quote you
The principle
A useful expert quote gives the reader something the headline does not: an explanation, a consequence or a practical next step. Your expertise becomes visible through the quality of that contribution.
What to do
Read the story and identify the one question your customers would ask about it. Answer that question in two or three sentences. Start with your main point, explain the reason, then say what someone should do next.
Example to adapt
On a story about shipping disruption, a logistics adviser could explain: “The cheapest route can become the most expensive when a missed delivery stops production. Compare total delivery risk as well as the freight price, and agree a backup route before it is needed.” Use this only if it reflects your own informed view.
Before you submit
Remove sentences that only praise your business. Ask: could a reader use this advice even if they never bought from me? If yes, you have given them a reason to remember your expertise.
Practical PR adviceMake your expertise newsworthy
The principle
Readers need a reason to care now. Connect your knowledge to a change that affects their decisions, money, time or everyday work.
What to do
Pick a relevant news opportunity and explain its effect on a specific audience. Do more than repeat what happened. Say who is affected, what they may overlook and what they should consider next.
Example to adapt
If a story reports rising business costs, an accountant could discuss how owners should reassess cash-flow assumptions. “Costs are rising” repeats the story. Explaining which assumption to review gives the reader useful guidance.
If you have your own story
Start with Add your own news brief. Describe the development, who it affects and the evidence you can provide. A useful finding or a practical industry observation can be a starting point; you do not have to wait for a suitable headline.
Practical PR adviceWrite a quote people remember
The principle
A clear, specific opinion is easier to understand and remember than a string of business buzzwords. Sound like a knowledgeable person explaining the issue to a client.
What to do
Make one point in your opening sentence. Use the next sentence to explain why it matters. Finish with a practical implication where useful. Read the quote aloud and replace language you would not naturally say.
Example to adapt
Instead of “Businesses must embrace innovative solutions,” a technology adviser might say: “Before buying another tool, identify the task that is wasting your team's time. Automating an unclear process can make the same mistakes happen faster.” This is an illustrative opinion, not a claim about a particular business.
Before you approve
Check the exact wording, name, job title and company. If you recorded your comment, read the transcription carefully. Your approved quote is what you control; the publication retains editorial freedom over the rest of its story.
Practical PR adviceBuild authority through useful insight
The principle
Authority grows when people repeatedly associate your name with a subject you explain well. Choose issues close to your real experience and make each contribution useful on its own.
What to do
Choose two or three themes your customers regularly ask about. Return to those themes when relevant news appears, but add a fresh observation each time. Keep your spokesperson's name, title and business description consistent so readers can recognise the same expert.
Example to adapt
A commercial property adviser might focus on lease flexibility, operating costs and location decisions. For each story, explain one trade-off a business owner should understand. There is no need to comment on every property headline.
Put the coverage to work
Keep a selection of relevant articles on your website or professional profile. When a prospect asks a related question, share the article with a short explanation of why it may help them. Let useful knowledge support your reputation.
Practical PR adviceChoose a timely or evergreen angle
Know the difference
News commentary explains a current development. Evergreen commentary answers a question that remains useful after today's headlines have changed. Both can show expertise; choose the approach that suits what you have to say.
When to use news
Select a story, read its context and explain what the development means for your audience. Check the event date. A story from last week may still matter, but describe it accurately rather than calling it breaking news.
When to use evergreen
Bring your own brief when your advice addresses an ongoing problem. For example, a recruitment adviser could explain how to assess a candidate's practical skills. That topic does not need a new event to be useful.
Make the decision
Ask whether your point depends on a specific event. If it does, include that context. If it does not, build the brief around the reader's question and a practical answer. Do not force an unrelated trend into your story.
Practical PR adviceBuild recognition with unlinked brand mentions
What an unlinked mention is
An article names your business without attaching a clickable website link. Readers can still learn who you are, what you do and which subject your expertise relates to.
Why use them
Relevant mentions place your brand alongside useful information about its field. That context can help readers and systems interpreting web content understand the association. Include unlinked mentions in your visibility strategy without treating them as a guarantee of search rankings or an AI recommendation.
What to choose in Rapid PR
Choose No links if you want name-based coverage, or Links in some articles for a mix. If you provide URLs, choose relevant destinations. Editors decide which links fit and how they are worded.
Keep the footprint natural
Use a consistent business name and accurate spokesperson details. Avoid demanding the same keyword-heavy anchor in every article or forcing a link into every mention. A useful contribution should make sense even without a backlink.
Practical PR adviceAmplify your coverage on X and LinkedIn
Share as soon as your link arrives
When a live article appears in Orders, open it, read it and share its link on X and LinkedIn straight away. You do not need to wait for the rest of your order. Use the Share button or copy the article URL into your post.
Give people a reason to open it
Lead with the useful point in the story. Add a short sentence explaining your contribution, then the live link. A post that tells readers what they will learn gives them more to respond to than a link alone.
A simple post to adapt
“What does [development] mean for [audience]? I shared my perspective on [specific issue] in this article. My key point: [your takeaway]. Read it here: [live link].” Replace each bracket with accurate details from your article.
Make each share relevant
On LinkedIn, add a little professional context and invite a relevant question. On X, keep the opening point concise. For later articles, vary the takeaway rather than posting the same message repeatedly. Reply to genuine questions and invite your company or colleagues to share when it is relevant to their audience.
Build on it
Add your strongest articles to your LinkedIn Featured section and your website's news section. Sharing helps you put coverage in front of people you already reach; it does not guarantee wider distribution or search visibility.
Practical PR adviceMeasure the coverage you earn
Separate delivery from impact
Your live links show where your story appeared. Business impact is what happens afterwards: relevant conversations, enquiries, website visits or stronger recognition among the people you want to reach.
Keep a simple record
Save the article URL, date, topic and the audience it serves. Note when you share it on X or LinkedIn. Review the posts' available analytics for reactions, comments and clicks, then compare which topics create useful conversations.
Look for business signals
Check referral traffic where the article includes a link. Ask new enquiries how they found you. Unlinked mentions will not appear as referral clicks, so do not judge all coverage by that single measure.
Use what you learn
After several stories, identify the subjects that attract the right audience and develop more helpful commentary around them. Do not assume a rise in traffic or enquiries was caused solely by one article. Rankings and AI citations are not promised outcomes.