Over the past few years in the region I have heard so many times why PR doesn't work and why so many CEOs have a bad taste in their mouth at the mere mention of public relations.
Truthfully, there are 1,000 reasons why PR doesn't work and there are also countless reasons why it does. I recent read a piece on the top 10 reasons why PR doesn’t work
The client doesn’t understand the publicity process
The scope of work is not detailed and agreed upon by both parties.
The client has not been properly trained on how to communicate with the media
The client thinks PR people have magic wands and coverage just appears
The client and the PR person or firm are not a good match.
The client has not gotten results quickly enough and ends the relationship too soon.
PR people don’t explain the kind of publicity placements a client will most likely receive.
Clients don’t realize that what happens after you get the publicity coverage is sometimes more important than the actual placement.
Clients get upset when the media coverage is not 100% accurate or not the kind of coverage that they wanted.
Clients won’t change their schedules for the media.
Well then, let's just hang up our hat trying to refine our client services or management brown-nosing, as we've finally figured out how to strip PR down to such a basic sense of parity, that if we could get these top 10 questions answered or figured out, that we could solve the industry-wide plague of bad PR. This really seems to make sense to those that subscribe to the belief that there's no such thing as bad PR. Nevertheless, PR is not a commodity - but bad PR is available anytime, anywhere.
A good friend and client of mine, seemed to capture it more accurately - at least for those of us in a world that demands we prove value and worth using metrics outside of whether or not we get along with people, trained our spokespersons well, or explained the publicity process so that executives could have something other than running a business to worry about.
Some PR agency’s don’t understand the product or brand
PR people are seen as spinners, blocker, or gatekeeper to access the CEO
The agency don’t know how to communicate with bloggers or social media.
The agency prefers doing a few big traditional media over lots of smaller online media & online channels.
The agency doesn't understand SEO, SEM, widgets, blogs, tags, social networks, pictures, video, or other online & viral methods
Most PR folks have no clue what the hell Web 2.0 is
Ask anyone what's wrong with PR and you'll unintentionally draft the manifesto of varying top 10 lists that will form as the foundation for revolution in the communications business. Call Guinness while you're at it. I'm sure we'll break some records.
Rather than highlight what's wrong with PR or why it doesn't work, let's talk about how to fix it. No matter what business you're in, there are a few things that can help you succeed in, manage, or measure PR. This list is a game changer and can serve as the foundation for improving PR and elevating its value among those who have been burned by previous experiences.
PR for PR People.
If you expect to represent anything, whether in an agency or in a company, spend a significant portion of your time figuring out why it matters to people - on your own time. This is the difference between PR and good PR.
Figure out who your customers are and where they go for their information.
Read the blogs, magazines, newspapers, forums, newsletters, etc., that reaches them and understands how to translate what you do in a way that matters to them. People within your target markets share experiences, pains, and wants that are unique to each group. By reading, you're participating. And by participating, you're better staged to engage more effectively than the rest of the flacks.
Don't speak in messages, spark conversations based on the unique requirements of each market segment and the people within them.
Traditional PR still matters, but also embrace social media. This is the future of PR, understanding how it works and what it takes to participate will ensure that you're experience is relevant to the communications needs of businesses over the next decade.
Attacking the "audience" with PR campaigns no longer works in new media. You have to engage with people through the diverse segments that represent your target market.
Once you understand what it takes to make the story more compelling to the varying markets and the influencers that reach them, then and only then, think about press releases. One press release doesn't carry across the entire spectrum of customers any longer. Figure out the core value proposition and then write several different flavors based on the needs and pains of your target customers and how you help them do something better, easier, more cost effectively, that they couldn't do today.
Set goals with the client team of the company you represent. Based on the previous points, you have to ensure that your activities align with their business strategy.
Communicate progress regularly, document milestones, and showcase successes. PR often suffers from a lack of "PR for the PR.
The Clients
Understand first, what PR is and isn't. All too often, businesses expect PR to perform miracles simply because they confuse it with advertising, online marketing, media buying, search marketing, etc. PR can't guarantee legitimate coverage in industry publications - no matter how tight the relationship
While I won't compare PR to each branch of marketing, I will say that PR IS NOT ADVERTISING. Reporters and bloggers don't stop what they're doing to write about your company, just because we send them a press release. They're bombarded by PR people all over the world. Stories are cultivated. If we respect them, do our homework, and help highlight the value of a story, coverage is imminent. If you want guaranteed exposure, buy an ad.
Don't under value PR. PR, when done right, is extremely valuable to company branding, which has immeasurable benefits in the long haul. Customers have choices and if you're not consistently vying for their attention, it's pretty easy to fall off their radar screen when they evaluate options.
PR is not a switch. It doesn't go off and on whenever you have the time or budget to throw at it. The market moves too quickly.
In most cases, coverage doesn't just happen. PR is like farming. The more seeds you plant, along with the time you spend watering, caring for, and feeding them, your crops will grow in the form of coverage over time. While some things such as news, etc., force information out quickly, other stories take time. And when they appear, they help raise brand visibility, drive some people to buy, and they also spark others to consider writing about it - which in turn also influences the cycle to replicate. Don't assume all of this coverage happens simply because you are a popular company.
Understand that PR is only an umbrella for the specific communications initiatives that will help you reach complementary, simultaneous goals. For example, corporate branding and product marketing require different campaigns.
No matter what industry you're in, realize that the most popular blogs, newspapers, or magazines are only one part of the process. This means that you have to embrace new media, it represents the early adopters and pragmatists.
Engage in social media. We live in a "social" economy and the only way to succeed in it, is to participate. Blog about industry-relevant topics, not just company accomplishments. It's not a new tool in the marketing belt. It is a new opportunity to engage customers and cultivate relationships.
Embrace online video and watch how creative, genuine, and cool content becomes incredibly viral. Words can carry the message so far, but video is also an opportunity to showcase the product while entertaining viewers. Podcast new updates, customer successes, ideas for new product uses, etc. Bookmark and share relevant links using the popular social tools available and don’t forget to cultivate user generated content.
Meet with your PR team regularly to communicate realistic goals and measure progress. Paint a real world picture of what success looks like each month and listen to the reports to see if they are indeed attainable. You get out of PR what you put into it.
Agree upon metrics in advance. All too often executives lose sight of what PR is designed to do. The right coverage is invaluable, even when it doesn't translate into visible hits, traffic spikes, or sales.
Realize that a proactive, intelligent and consistent PR program will contribute to the bottomline. It shouldn't be solely responsible for company success or failure.
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