Starting a PR strategy for your business can seem daunting, but it’s an effective way to boost brand awareness when done right. As a publicist and marketing coach, I’ve seen many business owners make common PR mistakes that sabotage their efforts.
Avoid these errors to develop a solid PR foundation that connects you with the media and grows your brand.
1. Not Having a Clear PR Strategy
Without a strategy, it’s easy to get sidetracked with PR. Begin by defining your goals – do you want increased brand awareness, sales leads, or thought leadership? Identify target media outlets and journalists. Craft key messages you want to communicate about your business to keep your pitches focused.
2. Pitching Stories That Aren’t Newsworthy
Journalists need timely, relevant stories that provide value to readers. Don’t just pitch product announcements or company news. Look for angles like:
- – New research/data that affects your industry
- – Innovative products or services that solve problems
- – Awards, milestones, or business achievements
- – Thought leadership on major industry news and trends
3. Not Building Relationships with Journalists
Take time to understand what specific journalists cover before pitching them. Follow them on social media, read their articles, and reference their work in your outreach to show you’re familiar with their reporting.
4. Failing to Follow Up
Don’t fire off a pitch and assume your job is done. Always follow up to ensure they received it and ask if they need anything else. Reply promptly if they have questions, as journalists are on tight deadlines.
5. Not Tracking Results
Analyse media placements, website traffic, and sales impact from PR efforts. Tracking results helps you determine the ROI of your PR activities and where to focus more (or less) energy.
Avoiding these common errors will help you develop an effective PR strategy tailored to your business goals and audience. With the right preparation and follow-through, you can build fruitful media relationships that raise brand awareness and visibility over time through strategic PR outreach.
Highlights
[00:00] Introduction
[00:35] Mistake 1 – Not Having a Clear PR Strategy
[01:00] Mistake 2 – Pitching Non-Newsworthy Stories
[01:35] Mistake 3 – Not Building Media Relationships
[02:00] Mistake 4 – Failing to Follow Up
[02:25] Mistake 5 – Not Tracking Results
[02:50] Conclusion
Resources Mentioned:
The Book of PR Tips: https://www.enevergroup.com.au/product/my-book-of-pr-tips-putting-pr-within-reach/
The Marketing Planner: https://www.enevergroup.com.au/product/marketing-planner/
How to Write a Media Release: https://enevergroup.thinkific.com/courses/how-to-write-a-media-release
