Most of everything has rules and tips that make everything flow a little smoother. So does PR.
PR has come a long way in the past decade, with more brands understanding utilizing PR to further their brand proposition, equity and marketing balance.
But amidst all the use and abuse of PR, many brands are also unaware of the modern basics of PR.
Here are 10 must know rarely spoken rules of PR that every brand manager and marketing major should know when conducting PR activities or monitoring your PR agency.
Do your research - Take the time to review the media coverage your industry is generating, in order to understand what your brand is up against. From public opinion, to competitors, benchmarks and also economical stats and trends, as a brand manager or PR Consultant, knowing your industry is the first step in ensuring PR leverage is on point. Remember: Industry tracking is just as important as competitor tracking.
Get your story straight - Prepare a summary of your business or brand, without having to overuse industry specific jargon. Real people buy your brand, and not all real people understand business or industry jargon, so before you start a PR plan - make sure you've got what you, your brand and your industry does down to a "T" when someone wants to know what you do. Remember: Keep it short and simple.
Choose your PR tool - Want to share your news with the world? Be concise, choose your avenue and keep it interesting. News is still called news for a reason, and if you wouldn't read it amidst an ocean of news, why would anyone else? Remember: Is it newsworthy vs. is it information sharing?
Quality over Quantity - Focus your PR outreach on building relationships with key journalists, for a win-win. Remember: Good writing is subjective; good grammar and comprehension isn't.
Handle journalists with care - Do not feel tempted to harass or pressures a journalist to carry your news. If your press release is newsworthy, the media will carry it. Media outlets prefer to carry interesting and newsworthy stories, as opposed to bland and badly written ones.
Don't be that guy - PR works on a deadline, just like events, advertising, financial reports and most of everyday life. Remember: Timely vs stale news.
Develop a long-term strategy - PR isn't a silver bullet. Success in PR requires a consistent and longterm approach. Remember: Brand building vs. It's cheaper than advertising
Be wary of throwing your money around at PR - A session with a PR Consultant may get the ball rolling on your PR strategy, but always look at the value of your final PR. Ask your agency for a dossier of your coverage, and a format for tracking the value of your PR, such as a Value Index. Remember: Success can be measured, and it should be!
Consider wider communications - With any great marketing plan, each facet just like PR cannot, and should not be expected to work alone.
Think Digital - With any great marketing plan, the identification and utilisation of the most widely used platform for your PR is imperative in order to ensure you are not left behind in the digital revolution, where marketers now eat, sleep and breathe, choosing to working smarter and far more efficiently.