5 Things I have learned about PR
By Emma Champion of Do Your Own PR
PR Never Sleeps - But YOU have to!
The world of PR and promotion never rests.
That is what PR is like - once your business is out there, people can discover it or come to need it at any moment, day or night. However, as tempted as you might be to stay up all night and intercept these messages and acknowledge hits on your website as and when they come in, learn to "put it down", so to speak.
Your business will be on your mind, and you will be excited to learn of new developments, but you mustn't let it consume you. Learn to switch the computer off and force yourself to do something different in the evenings. The moment you find yourself thinking, "I'll just go back on and check for new emails" half way through Eastenders , is the moment you need to unplug. Set yourself specific time slots to check and attend to these things and stick to them. As long as you do this every day, you will stay on top of things.
Too much is NEVER enough
In PR, However much you think something needs doing, you must multiply it and overcompensate for it. An example of this might be posting articles. Have you found one website which allows you to post your articles online for free? Good. Now find twenty more. The more of your business there is to find, the more likely potential customers are to find you. Utilise every option ten fold, and then some - saturate every medium with your presence, and your message will communicate.
Another example might be inviting guests to an event your company is holding. You require twenty guests. In order to guarantee twenty attendees, it is likely that you will have to contact just short of one hundred people. Some will say no, some will have other appointments; some will pull out at the last minute. The more people you invite and secure confirmation with, the more likely your event is to be a success.
Mantra: Overcompensate and Saturate.
Repetition, Repetition, Repetition
This one is fairly straight forward: if something works, then keep on doing it.
PR is very much about trial and error - some things will work and others will fail miserably.
Mistakes are an education; they tell you what not to do in the future and open your eyes to the better options and how well they work. This is why you must not be afraid to try new things - it is a process of elimination.
Trust me - the list of things which work that you end up using to your advantage every day will be far longer than the list of things which failed. But, remember to take those things that work and do them to death. The more you repeat a successful action, the more likely it is that success will be a regular occurrence.
The Internet is your friend
There are so many resources online which allow you to create awareness. Social Networking Sites are particularly good for catching people at a time when their minds are on gossip or catching up with friends. People will spend more time where they are happy , so this is a great platform from which to springboard your business into the customer's subconscious. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter allow those who take an interest to receive regular updates on you and your company, and will create a familiarity between you and your potential client that is not dissimilar to friendship.
Many sites offer the opportunity to publish articles free of charge; countless business forums allow you to trade information with like-minded entrepreneurs ...
Be Socially Adept
One thing the world of PR will demand of you is the ability to interact with people from all walks of life, and not just via email. You may hold events, have meetings, or speak with these people on the phone - either way, you will find yourself having to converse with all sorts of people, face-to-face or otherwise.
You must adapt to each person and communicate with them on a level which appeals to them. You might become aware that you speak differently with a journalist than you would with a client. This just shows that you are adapting to each individual situation in order to better relate to it, and to make it easier for the other party to relate to you.
Be bold, be confident and be ruthless, and you will be fine. Believe in yourself and others will believe in you too.
For a free PR resource pack and ten day trial of our media request service click here
By Emma Champion of Do Your Own PR
PR Never Sleeps - But YOU have to!
The world of PR and promotion never rests.
That is what PR is like - once your business is out there, people can discover it or come to need it at any moment, day or night. However, as tempted as you might be to stay up all night and intercept these messages and acknowledge hits on your website as and when they come in, learn to "put it down", so to speak.
Your business will be on your mind, and you will be excited to learn of new developments, but you mustn't let it consume you. Learn to switch the computer off and force yourself to do something different in the evenings. The moment you find yourself thinking, "I'll just go back on and check for new emails" half way through Eastenders , is the moment you need to unplug. Set yourself specific time slots to check and attend to these things and stick to them. As long as you do this every day, you will stay on top of things.
Too much is NEVER enough
In PR, However much you think something needs doing, you must multiply it and overcompensate for it. An example of this might be posting articles. Have you found one website which allows you to post your articles online for free? Good. Now find twenty more. The more of your business there is to find, the more likely potential customers are to find you. Utilise every option ten fold, and then some - saturate every medium with your presence, and your message will communicate.
Another example might be inviting guests to an event your company is holding. You require twenty guests. In order to guarantee twenty attendees, it is likely that you will have to contact just short of one hundred people. Some will say no, some will have other appointments; some will pull out at the last minute. The more people you invite and secure confirmation with, the more likely your event is to be a success.
Mantra: Overcompensate and Saturate.
Repetition, Repetition, Repetition
This one is fairly straight forward: if something works, then keep on doing it.
PR is very much about trial and error - some things will work and others will fail miserably.
Mistakes are an education; they tell you what not to do in the future and open your eyes to the better options and how well they work. This is why you must not be afraid to try new things - it is a process of elimination.
Trust me - the list of things which work that you end up using to your advantage every day will be far longer than the list of things which failed. But, remember to take those things that work and do them to death. The more you repeat a successful action, the more likely it is that success will be a regular occurrence.
The Internet is your friend
There are so many resources online which allow you to create awareness. Social Networking Sites are particularly good for catching people at a time when their minds are on gossip or catching up with friends. People will spend more time where they are happy , so this is a great platform from which to springboard your business into the customer's subconscious. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter allow those who take an interest to receive regular updates on you and your company, and will create a familiarity between you and your potential client that is not dissimilar to friendship.
Many sites offer the opportunity to publish articles free of charge; countless business forums allow you to trade information with like-minded entrepreneurs ...
Be Socially Adept
One thing the world of PR will demand of you is the ability to interact with people from all walks of life, and not just via email. You may hold events, have meetings, or speak with these people on the phone - either way, you will find yourself having to converse with all sorts of people, face-to-face or otherwise.
You must adapt to each person and communicate with them on a level which appeals to them. You might become aware that you speak differently with a journalist than you would with a client. This just shows that you are adapting to each individual situation in order to better relate to it, and to make it easier for the other party to relate to you.
Be bold, be confident and be ruthless, and you will be fine. Believe in yourself and others will believe in you too.
For a free PR resource pack and ten day trial of our media request service click here
posted by Paula Gardner at
2:49 PM
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