Spotlight on Public Relations: The Top 6 Myths

We all hear people talk about PR in terms of doing it for particular brands, but oftentimes, business owners have a really skewed idea of what it actually means and some don’t even think they really need it. There is a right way and a wrong way to approach a public relations strategy for your business, and there is a LOT of information on DIY PR strategies that will help you cut costs, but sometimes it is not all it is cracked up to be. There are a lot of things to consider.

Here are the top ten most common PR myths you will either hear people talk about, or maybe you have thought about them yourself!

Any press is good press

This is a losing strategy. Just because they get your name correct doesn’t mean it is good for your brand. Why bother doing all of the foundational work to build positive messaging and establish your brand’s characteristics if you aren’t concerned about how you appear in the public eye?

PR is only media relations

Public Relations is the art of building and maintaining positive relationships and brand awareness in the public eye. Media relations is only a part of the overall strategy. And, by the way, media relations is much more than sending a press release out into the world. Media releases are media relations tools. Media relations is designed to highlight everything you are doing for the rest of your campaign or your business and brand development strategy.

Journalists will cover your story if you contact them

You may think that you have the greatest story to take to media, and maybe it is, however, that doesn’t mean that the media is going to cover it. There are a lot of factors that go into their choice, and they get hundreds of pitches every day. You also have to be prepared for media to cover it in a way that you may not have expected. Once you put your pitch out there, you give up a bit of control over how it is used.

It is free and easy

Just because you drive doesn’t mean you can fix cars. PR practitioners take pride in their work, and they love what they do enough to work to perfect their craft. As mentioned, PR is a lot more than just putting out a press release. It is a full time job and there are specific things experts do to build successful strategies.

You need to hire an expensive PR firm

There are established global brands that can afford to hire the large PR conglomerates. The thing to remember is that with a larger company comes a higher price. Smaller PR firms will be able to deliver the same quality of work and, often, they can deliver a more hands on approach because they work with a smaller, streamlined team, which works well for smaller businesses.

Results happen overnight

PR is more of a long-term strategy. There is a lot of foundational work that goes into the development and implementation of the overarching strategy. Your brand awareness will grow over time and you will build your brand followers. You may hit the market with a big, viral bang, however, the important thing about a good PR strategy is how it fares over time.