Four Common Public Relations Myths Not To Believe

Public relations is an art of strategy, creativity, relationships and experience; and less about writing a press release and calling it a day. As a long-time PR professional, I can attest that most people don’t understand what our craft is really about—including family! I will say this—we aren’t magicians and we can’t read minds. However, what we can do is certainly tell your story authentically.

Below are four common PR myths that I frequently (as in daily) address when the subject of public relations comes up. Let’s take a look.

PR Is About the Press Release

If I had a dime for every time I heard, “oh you’re in PR, so you only write press releases?” Well, yes that is true, but it’s only a sum of the many parts. A press release is a communication tool that supports the public relations strategy of a media relations campaign that provides specific, but brief information about your news. What a press release is not, is guaranteed earned coverage that will be picked up and published—so a one and done approach is strongly discouraged. If you want to make sure your press release avoids the trash, tailor your pitch that captures why your news is relevant to readers and what they will learn and/or walk away with that will be helpful. Or better yet – make a video news release and get creative.

Public Relations Can’t Be Measured

Thanks to analytical tools such as Google Analytics, data analytical dashboards such as Tableau and marketing automation platforms like Marketo, public relations now has a seat at the KPI table. Gone are the days of just focusing on circulation, sentiment and audience reach.

Taking it a step further, PR has a role at both the top and the bottom of the marketing funnel. If you're not looking at PR with your valuable lens, I encourage you to start today. PR at the top of funnel of the buyer's journey is where brand awareness happens, introducing potential customers to a company or product. PR at the bottom of the funnel is two fold: Educating existing customers they've made the right choice and to grow their business, and influencing qualified ready-to-purchase customers with positive brand perception, market credibility and real world use cases generated through PR efforts.

A One and Done Approach Will Work

You know that one-hit wonder you can’t quite remember? One big media hit doesn’t mean you’re done. Either does 20 shares of a Facebook post or 300 views of a video. Public Relations is a multifaceted field that requires education, research, training, practice and consistency. Setting attainable goals and well-thought-out strategies = steady, long-term success.

PR is Too Expensive

There are many pricing levels when it comes to PR. You can go with experienced freelancers, go in-house or retain a boutique or large?PR agency. It all depends on your needs and budget. However before assuming PR is too expensive, do your due diligence and look into the options available to you while keeping in mind PR encompasses much more than media mentions. PR has the power to bolster your company’s credibility, establish thought-leadership, raise brand awareness in front of the audiences who need to know – and ultimately grow market share.

Need PR support or strategic counsel to get your due diligence started? Get in touch with me to set up an exploratory call to talk through your needs.