4 Reasons You Haven't Invested in Public Relations But Should
In today’s landscape of highly discerning consumers, PR is a powerful tool that amplifies your brand’s story.
The Public Relations Society of America PRSA defines Public Relations as “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”
Unlike traditional advertising, which you pay for, a solid PR strategy enables you to tell your story through earned or unpaid channels, be that in the form of a media story, a blog post, an event, or an authentic partnership.
In an era where consumers are highly skeptical, there is power in a third-party endorsement for your brand or even hearing from you directly in the form of an interview or event experience.
At their core, public relations experts are storytellers. They possess the ability to help you craft and then tell the story that will best resonate with your target audience in a way that will move the needle for your business.
If this sounds like something your brand or business could benefit from, then why haven't you built your PR strategy yet? We all have our reasons, and, in this case, they are all solved with the help of a team of experts. Here are a few reasons you may be giving yourself and why they may actually be signs that you are ready to bring on the help of PR experts like the Whirlaway Marketing team:
1. You're just getting started.
News outlets crave newsworthy stories. So, if you’re opening the door to a new business, launching a new product, creating a new offering, or doing something novel and innovative, strike while the iron is hot and create a solid strategy that will land you the attention your story deserves. If you don’t have anyone with a PR background on your team, there is no better time to bring on a professional than in advance of a critical, brand-defining moment for your brand or business.
The power of working with a team that has a proven track record in public relations is that they have an intimate knowledge of what it takes to create a strategy that will have the best chance of delivering upon the results you desire. They’ll be able to help you create a reliable roadmap and timeline, craft the right story/pitch angle/press release, and identify the right media or partners that will adequately amplify your story to the right audiences. Sure, you can talk about the exciting news you have coming up all you want across your social media channels and website, and you should! But, your PR partner will be able to help you secure third party validation for your message in a way that will help build brand awareness, trust, and interest from consumers.
Read about how we helped Indy’s hottest coffee shop open their doors with a PR strategy that drove both local and national results.
2. There's not enough time in the day.
It’s true, effectively practicing PR is time-consuming. As a business owner, you probably don’t have the time to proactively pursue the right media opportunities. Chances are if you’re reading this blog post, your expertise lies in another area. If you’re only doing PR when you have a spare minute here and there, you’re not going to be able to generate meaningful results on a continual basis. On behalf of our clients, we work as an extension of their brand to generate new story ideas and opportunities, while keeping our finger on the pulse with our constant line of communication with local and national press, influencers, organizations, and partnership channels.
Often business owners think that once you’ve opened your doors or launched your product, your PR opportunities are few and far between. But that couldn’t be further from the truth! With a strong PR partner on your team, you’ll have someone capable of generating an always-on stream of opportunities even after your obvious news moments have seemingly finished!
3. No one is listening.
Today’s journalists are busy. If you don’t have the right contacts and aren’t telling your story in the right way, it’s going to get ignored. Part of a PR professional’s job is to help you tell the RIGHT story. It’s their job to help you identify the right messaging and storytelling angles that will translate to media coverage or partnership opportunities like events, or curated content that can live on your channels like your website blog or social media. If you don’t have a proven track record of landing stories with media outlets or external partners, you’ll want to invest in a team that does. You wouldn’t hire someone without a culinary background to build a restaurant menu, so why would you expect to achieve the results you desire without a real expert in your corner?
4. You don't know how.
Thinking you have a story to tell is only the first step. Once you’ve identified your story, it’s time to craft the angle, build a library of assets to offer media or partners, develop an outreach list of the contacts who will help you amplify your message, send pitches to said contacts, follow up (often many, many times!), and then coordinate the opportunities that are right for your brand. Working with a PR expert that has a proven method and track record will not only lead to more substantial results for your brand, but it will also save you time. For example, last month, we capitalized on International Women’s Day to land a blitz of local press coverage for Spoke & Steele restaurant’s Executive Chef, Erin Gillum, which lead to an increase in website clicks, as well as Instagram followers for the brand.
Still not convinced PR is right for you? We’ve worked with clients of all shapes and sizes to:
Generate press coverage that led to a 3,000% jump in website traffic in one day and a complete sell-through of product.
Help a client open their doors with a press blitz that resulted in 14 million+ media impressions with both local and national press.
Land clients without a “new” story to tell media coverage in national publications, including Essence Magazine, Today.com, Bake Magazine, Parade Magazine, and more.
Plan and coordinate brick-and-mortar launch events that drive foot traffic, membership, and repeat business long after their doors opened.
Interested in learning more about how we can help you craft a PR strategy that will drive meaningful results? We offer a variety of flexible options. Drop us a note to schedule a complimentary exploration call hello@whirlawaymarketing.com.