10 Things that Public Relations is NOT

Public Relations is both an art and a science. Sure, there are tried and true methods that we can predict will yield the desired result, but pretty much everything begins with trial and error. Now with over 13 years of Public Relations entrepreneurship under my belt, and helping hundreds of clients in various regions and industries, I’m still shocked by both what works and what doesn’t work as intended.

One of the biggest obstacles is helping clients understand what Public Relations is…and isn’t. So often PR is lumped into the bigger pot of marketing and advertising. While the three are very powerful together, they solve unique problems and deliver very different outcomes . You can’t compare them apples to apples. I’ve also seen PR confused with publicists. Again, it is similar on the surface but not the same. Publicists often work directly with “celebrity” clients and achieve immediate, short-term publicity. Public Relations more often serves organizations, businesses, and brands with a long-term strategy and sustained efforts.

When I work with small to medium-sized businesses, I find that limited resources mean these various specialties get lumped together. When PR bleeds into marketing, or earned media is confused with paid media, the expectations rarely align with the outcomes. To help clear up confusion, I’ve made a list of the 10 most common things that PR is not. It’s understandable your organization may still want to accomplish these goals – as you should! But bear in mind that PR is not the most natural fit and you will want to utilize true marketing, advertising, or publicity tactics to achieve your desired outcomes.

1 Public Relations is not “spin.”

PR cannot build a story from absolutely nothing. “Spin” is often a negative term used for falsifying a story or building something out of smoke and mirrors. Reputable PR professionals don’t (and won’t) do that. There needs to at least be a kernel of something interesting, important, and timely to blossom into press-worthy coverage. Yes, it’s a PR specialist’s job to water and nurture this seed, to know where to plant it and realize its potential, but we can’t manufacture something from nothing.

2. Public Relations won’t solve business problems.

I often tell clients that I am a business accelerator, not a business savior. I can help amplify your successes and good works, but I can’t solve problems rooted in an unsustainable business model or a broken leadership. There are other wonderfully qualified people who may be able to help in this area, but I know my limits. When I walk into a project and realize PR is merely a band-aid solution for a much bigger issue, I give honest feedback that resources spent on PR will be wasted unless it’s built upon a solid foundation.

3. Public Relations is not immediate.

I’ll preface this by saying that PR can absolutely produce quick results when needed – an urgent press release, crisis communications, and a time-sensitive announcement. But this is a flash in the pan. To sustain ongoing public relations, it takes a forward-thinking strategy that accounts for the seasonality of your business, long-term goals, and projections. When I step into a project, I can “stop the bleeding” if needed” but I will always want to dig deeper to the root of the issue and create a strategy that will build a healthy PR arm of the business for the future.

4. Public Relations is not truly free.

Yes, PR is often referred to as “earned” media meaning it’s not paid media placement which is advertising. But to be clear, businesses and organizations still invest A LOT in their public relations strategies. Hiring staff or consultants, investing in tools and technology, and any of the incidental costs of hosting media events, offering comp tickets, etc. add up. And you know this as well as I do, you get what you pay for. In order to yield professional PR results, you need to dedicate a respectable amount of your communications budget to sustaining these efforts and hiring the best talent. Otherwise, you’ll still spend some money to get less than desirable results.

5. Public Relations won’t erase mistakes.

I love crisis communications. People think I’m crazy when I say this, but I do. I love that it’s an opportunity to turn a negative into a positive. Again, it’s not “spin” and it certainly won’t erase mistakes entirely, but it allows a business or organization to take back control over something that may feel entirely out of their control. A mistake, rumor, natural disaster, or scandal can go from bad to worse when not addressed. Even the best PR efforts will never wipe out the blemish, but they can paint over the blemish and create a masterpiece if applied in just the right manner.

6. Public Relations is not something you can turn on and off as needed.

There’s a long tail to Public Relations. It often takes months after initiating a PR campaign to begin to see tangible results, and those may be nearly unquantifiable to start. Be patient! Don’t panic and turn off the faucet just when the water is beginning to run through the pipes. Have faith and let it flow. At just the right time, you’ll have plenty to drink from the well, and you will have built an infrastructure to sustain the results. PR is not an on-one-minute, off-the-next-minute solution. You need to invest in it before you’re desperate for the results. And when the time comes that you do have an urgent message to disseminate, you’ll have the right people and processes in place to launch the fire hose!

7. Public Relations is never fully in your control.

Advertising gives you full control of what you say, when you say it, and where it’s placed. You pay for that. Where Public Relations is an art form is which you are never fully in control, instead, you must leverage your influence. It’s a delicate balance. However, when PR results in earned media, it yields a far greater result than any standard digital ad can provide. It’s that third-party authenticity, that front-page publicity, that exclusive placement that your competition literally cannot buy. So while there is risk, there is also reward. An experienced PR pro knows to leverage influence and let go of control. There are multiple ways we can hit the bullseye on our target.

8. Public Relations can’t replace marketing or advertising.

Picture three concentric circles. This is marketing, advertising, and public relations. A smart business knows it needs to account for all three, and the best place to be is right in the middle of the overlap. This means you need a dedicated person/team for marketing, a different person/team for advertising, and another for PR. I have seen a single person or team try to account for all three, but I cannot say I’ve ever seen it produce the best results. There’s confusion, burnout, frustration, and a lack of strategy that results. If you want one person to “do it all” or for one budget to cover three different departments, manage your expectations accordingly.

9. Public Relations isn’t effective in a silo.

As a consultant, I come alongside teams of all shapes and sizes. I learn to integrate into their workflow and serve as an extension of the team. This is both challenging and fun! What I know for certain is there are two things I need to do my job well: access and approval. Public Relations cannot exist in a silo. If I don’t have access to the right people and intel within an organization I won’t know where the best PR opportunities exist. And if I don’t have approval to disseminate a press release, pitch a story, collaborate with leadership, and organize press events, even the best efforts will be rendered useless. The most successful organizations have leadership for value PR and provide access and approval abundantly. We’ll do the heavy lifting…just clear us a path!

10. Public Relations is not for the timid or shy.

The most successful PR professionals know they have to take bold action to deliver the best results for their clients. “Opportunity doesn’t go away, it just goes to someone else.” This quote is the essence of public relations summed up in a single sentence. I can be shy and timid in other areas of life, but when I put on my PR hat, the gloves come off. My PR persona is my superpower, and I love fighting for my clients to ensure they get the most recognition possible for their good works. This means taking inspired action, speaking with bold honesty, and delivering on every promise.

What else would you add to this list? Was there a topic that surprised you? If you have a question or comment, let’s talk about it! Drop me a line and I’ll respond.

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