Public relations (PR) has never been an easy field or process to understand – or to explain, for that matter. If you ask five public relations professionals to define it, chances are you’ll get five different answers that run the gamut from relationship building to creating content. Even social media is becoming more aligned with PR than with marketing. Regardless of the precise words used to define it, PR is taking center stage for many companies looking to stand out from the crowd of competitors.
With 20 years of working in the PR field under my belt, I’m still constantly learning, but I can tell you there are indeed both right and wrong ways of doing things. Here is my list of the top five reasons your PR efforts might be missing the mark:
1. Your press releases read more like an ad.
I often counsel clients that a press release should read more like a news article than an advertisement. If a release is riddled with “salesy,” over-the-top marketing rhetoric, chances are it will be ignored, (or promptly trashed), by reporters. Remember, these are the very folks you want to read and share it. By writing more like they write – adhering to Associated Press (AP) style first and foremost, highlighting the true news value of a story – not focusing on the fact you want to sell a product or service – and including authentic quotes, you’ll have a better chance of getting their attention.
2. Your public relations efforts consist of … press releases. That’s it.
Sadly, many companies believe sending out a press release means they can check off their list they’ve “done PR” for their announcement. Not a chance. A press release is just one tool for getting company news out – not THE tool. Today, some even believe the press release is dead – a dinosaur among the flashy digital tools now available. I’m not one of those, however. I strongly believe a press release is still an important tool, but only as part of a more comprehensive effort or campaign. I’ve found targeted pitches to the reporters who would care most about a company to be one of the most effective ways of getting a story or message out to those who need to see, hear or experience it. This involves a good bit of work, including research to find the most appropriate outlet/reporter/producer; conducting interviews with key internal experts to get the facts/data and other materials to support a story idea; finding additional experts or advocates; and, drafting key messages and boiling them down into a succinct pitch to send to the media contact. Add to this, the follow up and correspondence necessary to build the relationship, tweaking messages to share via other channels, and measuring your efforts once the campaign is finished. Sometimes it’s difficult for an executive to comprehend why we charge what we do. More often than not, it’s because they believe PR = a press release. If that were the case, $100 should do it – oh and perhaps another $100 to send it to PRWeb. When they ask for results or ROI, that’s when it becomes a problem. Little effort means little, if any, results.
3. You will only talk to a reporter if …
One of the ways to get in front of your audience is through the news stories written by reporters who cover the industry you are in – whether manufacturing, health care, technology or financial services. If you have a list of qualifications that must be met before you speak to a reporter, chances are your PR efforts will fall flat. I remember in a previous job where much of my responsibility was event planning and I had to review contracts of performers (musicians and bands, primarily). It became somewhat of a joke when a “rider” would be attached detailing the requirements that needed to be met in order for them to play – things like a fruit basket behind the stage, a full length mirror, certain kinds of beverages or candy with certain colors picked out. You would have thought we had hired Beyonce, but alas, these were local performers with big egos. And, big ego didn’t necessarily mean better performer, either.
If your goal is to become a thought leader in your industry, having such stipulations will limit you greatly and create a perception about you or your company that could be difficult to shake. That’s not to say you should speak to every Tom, Dick or Harry but you should be open to forming relationships with reporters who are most interested in the space or industry in which you work. Don’t demand to approve copy before it’s published – this is one surefire way to tick off a reporter. Instead, say you’d be more than happy to verify any facts or answer questions they have as they write their article. Being available and accessible is refreshing when some reporters spend half their day (or week) trying to get through red tape to interview someone for a story or get the data they need.
4. Every sentence starts with the name of your company/organization.
If your website copy, brochures, social posts, press releases, newsletters and other materials all sound the same because every sentences starts with the name of your company, you are doing it all wrong. Do an audit of your company communications to see if you are guilty of this. If you are, it’s time to rethink how you position yourself. Instead of simply focusing on what your company does, consider the ways your company is helping other companies. Better yet, make the focus about people. How is your product or service impacting peoples’ lives or making their jobs easier? Find ways to turn data and statistics into real-life examples or stories that move people to action. One of my favorite experts to turn to for writing inspiration is Ann Wylie, a nationally known communicator who conducts writing courses across the country.
5. If your stakeholders need a Ph.D. to comprehend what your company does.
Even if the end-users of your product or service are highly skilled engineers or executives with advanced degrees, your general communications materials need to be written in a way that anyone can understand what you do. If it takes more than 30 seconds to describe your business, it’s time to revise your elevator pitch. Popular leadership expert, Simon Sinek, is well known for the saying, “people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Think about that for a moment. Do your materials adequately describe your “why” or do they just give the run down of what you do? To learn more, consider watching this shortened TED Talk, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action.” Don’t alienate your audience with content they can’t digest. Instead, find ways to inspire them by focusing on your “why.”
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Hollie Geitner is vice president, client services for WordWrite Communications. You can find her on Twitter @JustHollieG.
