There’s a lot of chatter about marketing and advertising, social media and seo programs… but what about PR? I just got off the phone with Carol Flammer, who is a Public Relations extraordinaire and Social Media smartypants! Carol is president of Flammer Relations, Inc., and managing partner of mRELEVANCE, LLC, an Internet Marketing, Social Media and Public Relations firm with offices in Atlanta and Chicago. She had so much great information to offer for all our “DIY-ers” out there, and I couldn’t wait to share it with you!
“PR is how you tell your company’s story. It could, and should be, the basis of your entire marketing program.”
So why is PR important to your company? PR is your on-going brand message. If you think about your social media efforts – like blogging – it can’t exist without stories! Your editorial calendar originates with your PR, and content is key! You don’t have to have a PR agency to start some simple PR efforts on your own, but there are some places where having an experienced PR agency or writer will make a big difference, and we’ll give you some of those pros and cons in just a bit. The key to having a successful PR campaign – either on your own, or with an agency – is that you have to be committed to it, just as much as you would be committed to your advertising campaign.
Carol shared with me that she gets approached by potential clients saying that they’d like to give it “one month to try it out”. Having a successful PR effort won’t happen in a month. To garner real results from PR efforts, you need to be open to using PR for 4-6 months. Public relations is an on-going effort.
Oh, the forgotten about “written word”. Carol says, “you can’t forget the power of the press release!” Print PR is much more measurable now because of the online community. You can easily measure results and tracking by having your releases turn up in online venues.
Did you know that 78% of reporters start their stories with a web search? That’s where they look to find the stories they want to cover. And 90% of PR stories originate from an agency.
Why? Well an agency has all the inside hookups and have finessed their relationships with reporters – giving your story an inside track to getting published. They actively send reporters the stories, in a format they want (this is very important). PR agencies know how to work the reporters – and it’s not something that happens overnight. Trying to contact them yourself could mean public relations suicide, as reporters will often blacklist overzealous companies (Carol calls people that contact the reporters directly, and often, “PR renegades”, which I thought was cute! Cute aside, you don’t want to be one!)
“You have to understand how it works. You can make huge mistakes if you don’t know what you’re doing.”
So press release aside, what can you do on your own that can help your PR efforts for your company? There’s still a lot of ways to get involved. “See and be seen,” Carol says. Speaking engagements and networking events are a great way to meet new people and discuss your business. You never know who you’ll meet!
Look at your company’s skill sets. Are you more comfortable going out to meet new people and businesses, or writing content for your blog? If you have people that are good at those things – delegate to them! Remember how important it is to utilize the skills of your team.
Work your smaller, local papers. Invite their reporters out to your business or events (please note – if you have a larger regional paper, this won’t likely work – but most areas have community papers and this would be great for those). If you’re located near many other small businesses, like a shopping plaza, Carol suggests forming an alliance with them and organizing an event like a block party or carnival. Think big! When you have more business and community support, it’s easier to get coverage. These events will make a big difference at a low cost.
The last thing we talked about was where public service can benefit your company. “People buy from people they like,” Carol says. So in the days of shrinking businesses and shrinking budgets, it’s always a good idea to give back when you can. It doesn’t necessarily mean monetarily – but perhaps by dedicating your time or talents to a cause. Find something that’s important to you (don’t just pick something randomly to get involved), but align yourself with something you believe in. It needs to make sense to your business. Maybe it’s something as small as purchasing from a local business that gives money back to the community, or working at a local soup kitchen, or donating supplies to a Boys and Girls club. There’s many ways that you can be creative – but don’t forget the importance of community outreach as a local business!
True Story: Thinking Outside the Frame:
Hello. My name is Kristen Weaver, and this is the story of how I used PR to expand my business and give back to a cause I was passionate about.
As a former Regional Marketing Director for the #1 homebuilder in Orlando (Charles Wayne Consulting, 2008), I found myself struggling to rebound after our company closed this summer. I decided to actively pursue my passion as a photographer – but I wanted to do more. I finally had the opportunity to do what I wanted to do, instead of being dictated by my finances. So the question posed itself – “If you could do anything, what would you do?”. I took a long hard look at this opportunity, because it doesn’t come around often, and brainstormed for about 45 seconds before developing “Images for a Cure“.
What was a small idea at my desk at home, surrounded by my 3 cats and my trusty ipod, has now turned in to a national event involving over 70 photographers, from 30 states and 2 countries – in only 2 weeks. We’ve already raised $1,000 for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® (our beneficiary charity) and have gained local and national media attention.
So besides being a personal accomplishment to support a foundation that I believe in, it has really changed my business. I’ve noticed my Facebook friends and fans increase daily, my blog traffic has nearly doubled and I’ve completely sold out of all of my open sessions for the event – within 2 days of launching it (I’ve decided to open additional days of sessions for people who couldn’t get in).
Financially – I’ve gained nothing. But the value this event has put on my company has been priceless. I want to be known as the photographer who “gives back”, who’s a “do-er” and who can organize a country of professionals with her enthusiasm and love for a cause.
So my challenge to you, is to be the one who looks past financial gain every once in awhile, to do something you believe in. To fill your heart with your passions and contribute your talents to make a positive change in your community. Your business, and your clients, will thank you for your contribution!
Tags: bcrf, cause, creating wow, creatingwow, facebook, homebuilder marketing, images for a cure, internet marketing, internet marketing expert, internet marketing help, internet marketing hotline, internet marketing support, kristen weaver, meredith communications, orlando, photographer, photography, pr, Public Relations, Social Media, social media marketing, the breast cancer research foundation, web marketing help, web marketing strategy
Great post. Especially today, where many companies value PR because it has the potential to be so much more cost effective compared with traditional forms of marketing and advertising, PR also offers excellent third-party credibility for your company.
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