PR Is The Foundation Of Your Business Growth If Done This Way

Wish you could position yourself as a go-to expert in your industry? In my recent article, I discuss how “visibility allows you to stand out in a crowded marketplace; whether through paid or earned media, it is a critical component to business success.” After training over 1200 people in the last year on how to land breakout media stories, I have seen first-hand how many startups design a product or service and leave their publicity and marketing plan until the last minute. The result is often a list of prospective customers more barren than the Sahara.

It has never been easier to generate high-quality media attention, yet PR is often the missing gap that holds companies back from growth. The industry seems confusing, you don’t know who to trust, or how to track ROI. Unfortunately, many publicists and PR trainers teach an upside-down approach that takes too much time, results in less impactful media appearances, and does not drive credibility or growth. Here’s why.

Spray and pray method. Effective PR tells the story the brand wants to tell to the audience that most wants to hear it. Many publicists, however, operate under the spray and pray method. For example, they pitch a combination of outlets that may not align with the target customer you want to reach. The result is that you may get a press “win”, but it does not drive traffic or improve the bottom line because there was no alignment with the target customer. Landing a media story may bolster the credibility of the publicist, but does little to advance your business. Instead, start with empathy and match the outlet to the target for maximum results.
Lack of alignment. Did you land a national feature that did not move the needle in your business? The answer could be lack of alignment between platform and story angle. Many publicists leave the story angle to chance. They rely on pre-existing relationships to contact the reporter and allow the reporter to find the angle. Instead, discover the story from within the brand’s essence, craft the story to attract the target customer and identify the reporter who would be the best fit to tell it, not the other way around. This ensures there is a match between the brand’s story and the target customer you are trying to reach.
Starting small. Many PR trainers advise to start at the bottom, approach local, small podcasts and blogs and work your way up to national platforms. While this may give you practice refining the message, the method is problematic for multiple reasons. First, early-stage entrepreneurs are limited in both time and resources. Instead of pitching small outlets that take the same amount of time and energy for a press feature that will not drive traffic, you should prepare to land your breakout major media story first in a larger or national platform. This will drive more traffic. Second, when you land a breakout story in a larger platform, smaller outlets will get in line to feature you. The result is the same or more features with less time and effort, offering more credibility, exposure, and positioning.

In a world where an individual can become a business in 60 seconds, your customers and clients do not always know who to trust. Line up media social proof to rise above your competitors. Know how to distinguish yourself, build credibility, and position your brand as the go-to resource to set yourself up for success over the long term.

If you are a solopreneur or company tired of chasing clients and customers and wish there was a line out the door waiting to work with you, read on for the three benefits of media visibility, when done right:

Exposure: Want to get in front of thousands or millions of potential readers, customers, or clients? Effective PR amplifies your company to reach the target customer you most want to reach. Identify the outlets your customer reads, trusts, and follows to secure stories. Ensure the story angle you pitch will attract your audience by aligning with their needs, hopes, and desires. Your media feature will resonate and establish loyalty in your market.

Credibility: In the early days of your business, establish yourself as a credible resource. Until you build a platform of your own, leverage pre-existing platforms to catapult your own brand and social proof. National media outlets are trusted, proven, and respected. When you are featured here, you enter a league of premier thought leaders and companies, where you can attract more clients and customers faster. It also becomes easier to pitch your services or products for future media opportunities and partnerships because you are already vetted. All without spending any money on advertising.