PR is an excellent way to effectively spread your business message and represent your brand to the masses. This not only attracts new business but makes your current client base proud to be part of your mission. But sometimes your PR strategy simply doesn’t work. This means there’s a very high chance that you’ll be ignored by the journalist, blogger, TV producer or podcast host you want to work with.
What’s stopping you?
Below I discuss some common barriers to an effective PR strategy and what to do about it. My 19 years of experience in journalism offers insider knowledge on how to boost your PR and get leads. You may be surprised about what there is to know, so read on to find out how to solve your PR problems.
- What’s your process?
Firstly, you must get your website and sales process in order. It drives me absolutely nuts when I’m asked to work with someone on their PR, but they haven’t got a website organised or any other way of capturing sales. Even when I ask them to work on this, they don’t. If a journalist is going to give you the opportunity to get more eyes on your business and bring more leads to your door, you’ve got to be ready for it. When someone says they gained coverage but no sales, I immediately look at their process. Is your site ready to convert? Is it easy to navigate, is there a call to action on there, a sign up page or a link to something you’re selling? Is there a ‘book a call’ button? Do your blogs have links to your social media? If you’re not doing this, you’re wasting your time and effort. Huge amounts of PR means nothing without an effective conversion funnel to attract, follow-up, convert and nurture a client.
- Are you letting your ego get in the way? This one can be the most challenging for some. Even with years of expertise and a varied skillset, when I pitch to the media, I always make sure that the journalist feels I am grateful for their help and the opportunity. Businesses who try to make themselves seem like a guest of honour are usually ignored. The journalist can easily find someone else who is personable, approachable and just as skilled. The only people who don’t have to worry about staying humble are major celebrities, because celebrities can simply go elsewhere for PR. The chances are you are not a major celebrity, but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be confident – you are still an expert in your field. However you are only valuable when you give the press what they want, when they want it and in the format they want it.
- Are you active on social media?
Number three is to be strategic with your social media to showcase your expertise. This isn’t about how viral you can get with short form content. Right now, I’m talking about the impression you give to the journalist. If you pitched an idea to me as a journalist, I’d take a look at your social media accounts to see what you represent. What would I find? Is it you sharing valuable information about your industry? Are you showing how credible you are and that you know your stuff? Are you talking about your business, your values, your clients? When you work with a journalist, they aren’t just representing you, you are representing them too. So, make sure your content is something they would be proud to share.
- Can you show proof?
Would you be able to prove how you have overcome challenges and succeeded if a journalist approached you? Every article is made more interesting by the inclusion of ‘real life’ stories because they are relatable and entertain. This means you need case studies, success stories, statistics or video testimonials to prove your worth. You don’t have to produce this proof from scratch – it’s already there, but you may need a copywriter or editor to format it into an entertaining but compelling story that convinces any audience that your PR sends to you. You are the educator, but your ‘real’ people add the interest.
Keeping this in mind should also remind you to ask for testimonials as you wind things up with a client, which you can then use on your website or social media – I don’t know why but so many business owners don’t do this but it’s a habit you should put in place. Remember to put these testimonials on your landing page, social media, email or wherever they can be useful to showcase what you do and how well you do it.
- Is your ‘pitch’ perfect?
A top tip here is to add statistics and facts to the email you’ll be sending to the journalist. I’d recommend you do this for your own content too to add gravitas. Is there any recent data available to back up what you’re saying? This gives you the ‘why’ factor – the reason the story is worth featuring. It only takes a bit of research to find useful stats and the journalist will thank you for it. For instance, if you are pitching a story on how to reduce anxiety in children under five, see if you can uncover any data that shows how much of an issue this is. It doesn’t matter what your idea is, you can probably find something to support your pitch. It makes it instantly newsworthy. Obviously, practicing your pitch makes it seem natural – I would advise you write the pitch but sit on it for a day or two before sending. Tweak and re-write as needed before hitting send. There is more advice on this subject in my media coverage Q&A blog here.
If you have any questions about how your business could benefit from PR or if you are still struggling with an effective PR strategy, please drop a comment below or reach out to me on my social media. In the meantime, I hope this article has provided a better understanding of PR and given you some inspiration for your own strategy.
