Greetings my Entrepreneurial buddies! Today I want to talk about another branch of marketing and that’s PR. What is Public Relations? It’s simply how we get our brand story to the media. Through PR strategies, you create a system by which the story of your business or brand gets to the public. PR helps you to control the narrative when you have a story to tell.
The difference between PR and Marketing and advertising is that PR is earned media. Essentially that means you are typically not paying for the media exposure. You can send a pitch or a press release to different media outlets and if they have interest, they will pick up your story and add it in their article or online publication. In other words you earned the space and didn’t have to pay for it.
What is the objective of PR? That’s a great question. PR is a brand awareness tool. It lets the world know in a broader scale that you have launched or have a story to tell.
PR raises interest in ideas, products, features, good and services and more. The goal is to cultivate positive sentiment, reputation and influence.
Typically, your Public relations strategy will include your press release and bio that tells audiences your story, what is launching, the benefits, your competitive advantage. When connecting to media, remember to provide your media talking points or FAQ’s so they know how to address audiences correctly, reflecting the narrative you want out there. Give them a headshot. Remember, that will help them connect a face to the brand. Create pitches to send to your media outlets. Be creative and find angles that are new and different. Media always wants a relevant story with a fresh and new outlook, positioning or perspective.
Do you have investors? PR is a great way to show them proof of concept especially if you are getting positive sentiment and impressions on your concept. That means there is interest in what you are offering to the general market which will make your product more valuable to an investor.
Here are 5 tips to remember when creating Public Relations strategies
- Plan- know your audience, goals and objectives
- Get organized- gather a list of media outlets you want to send your press release or story pitch to. Be sure to read up on those media outlets and create a story that speaks directly to their audience. Ask people you know if they know people in the media and use their contacts or names to connect if you have permission
- Enhance your social media strategy-media is always looking at your social media to determine if you would make a good fit for their audience, segment, publication or story. Be sure you have video content on your social media pages that shows your personality and expertise.
- Focus on themes in your content-is there a holiday coming up? Is something happening today that is relevant in the news and you can wrap your story around that? Go for it!
- Stay connected-talk about philanthropies you might partner with or share how your business is making a mark In the community.
Need help with your PR strategy? We would love to help. Email us at [email protected] and let us help you get started.
