- December 1, 2019
- Posted by: Chase Gregory
- Categories: Advertising, Manufacturing, Public Relations
Photo Caption: An Effective Public Relations program will help get the right kind of attention today for your company. Photo Credit Jason Rosewell
I have been involved in public relations for over 15 years and I hear plenty of reasons from CEO and CMO’s on the why they are not running a PR program.
The top 5 mentioned are:
- We don’t have any news to tell
- Everyone already knows our name
- We never introduce any new products
- We had a bad story run about us
- I don’t trust editors
Because I have been able to overcome all of these challenges for my clients—these challenges don’t ring true with me. It doesn’t matter how small or big you company is… if you want to maintain or grow your business in today’s always’ on society, a public relation program has become a must for your marketing team to execute well.
Below are the ways I help businesses overcome these common excuses:
1-We don’t have any news to tell
I know every company has plenty of stories to tell.
How?
For years and years I have been able to create at least one press release every month for many companies. How? I ask lots of questions and talk with everyone I can until I found a story I believe would be interesting to editors. There is no reason why you can’t do the same.
2- Everyone knows our name
Trust me, not everyone knows your company name. Every day someone new enters your world and they don’t know you. Plus, if your name is not in front of your audience enough they will forget you. I have seen plenty of companies stop their successful PR programs after running one for more than 3 years— then only 6-8 months later— I get asked by an editor or competitor—Did so-and-so go out of business?
3- We rarely introduce any new products
Even if you don’t have anything new, you can still create content with updates or reminders on the best features of your products. Believe me your competitors are doing it and so can you.
4- We had a bad story run about us and I don’t want another one
The only reason bad stories come out about your company is because someone in your told a bad story and why spending time prepping for every interview is essential.
Or maybe an editor only saw one side of the story.
If the story is not true… you need to fight to tell your full story.
Sometimes you have someone on staff that can help you create a solid message / reply, but I would recommend hiring a firm with PR reputation repair background to help you find a way to tell the truth. Then, you need to be out there telling your real story over and over.
5- I don’t trust editors
Keep in mind it is important for editors and reporters to maintain their reputation too. They need people to trust them and believe the stories they write in order to keep their jobs.
Every good journalist needs to tell stories that won’t be disputed or make them look bad. They will do their best to do right by you. They want to write true stories about companies and you should be one of them. This is why it is essential to have a PR professional working on your behalf that has regular contact with important editors in your industry to get you the best coverage possible.
Everyone seems to make PR more complicated than it really needs to be and they list the challenges on why they don’t have a public relations program. It is not hard to do it just takes persistence, honest and consistent content from a PR professional.
I have been able to take companies from total oblivion to a becoming a very well known brand in about 1-2 years depending on how deep they were below the surface before I started their PR program. Or I help companies repair a bad reputation due to a lawsuit or accident. Contact me to learn how I can help you do the same: [email protected]