PR 101 – What You Need to Know In Order to Get Started

For any company, especially one in its infancy, one of the biggest components to becoming successful is implementing the use of public relations strategies into the overall business plan. Combining both traditional and digital PR tactics on a regular and consistent basis will help startup companies grow their brand.

To utilize public relations successfully, it’s important to first have a clear understanding of what it is and how it’s going to create an impact. Public Relations is the strategic process of communication used to manage how information about a business, organization, or an individual is spread to the public, especially the media. PR helps to create and maintain a brand’s image, as well as establish key business members as thought leaders within their respective industry.

What it all comes down to is the importance of creating positive relationships with the public. Utilizing PR, whether in-house or with an outside company can make a significant impact on a business/brand. It’s important to understand that public relations differs from advertising and marketing. While there are similarities, such as helping to build a brand and communicate with a specific audience, the key difference is the primary focus. Advertising is paid, whereas with PR, the results are earned through providing media with specific information. When it comes to public relations, the task at hand is to cultivate relationships for the purpose of managing a client’s image.

Here at JMG PR, the goal with our start-up clients is to not only cultivate, but also to maintain the relationships we work hard to secure, along with establishing a positive image for our clients within their specific market. ?How we accomplish all of this is through the use of a well-devised strategic communication plan. Without a clear plan in place, it’s difficult to secure the necessary coverage needed, especially for a start-up in their infancy. Brands rely on the PR process to help showcase them in the best light possible; it is the job of the PR firm to make sure that happens.

The concept of PR is one that dates back over 100 years to Ivy Lee and Edward Barneys. It has been said that Lee invented the press release when he had to spin a news story about an accident for his client, the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1906. Fast forward to the modern day and the press release is still widely utilized today.

In a world that is primarily dominated by digital, we like to mix traditional methods, like the press release, along with digital strategies. So what exactly is the difference between these two PR approaches?

Traditional PR

The media tactics that fall under traditional PR are diverse but the most prominent is the press outreach you’ll do on behalf of a client. With a focus on print outlets, TV, and radio, these mediums can be extremely successful in terms of increasing brand awareness. Make it a point to cultivate relationships with the publications that align with your client’s brand and message, as well as the writers and journalists. They are they vehicle to your audience.

When implementing traditional media into your strategy plan, you must also look at how the client is being portrayed, how their message is being communicated, and how often are they mentioned throughout the placement. What’s harder to determine with traditional media is the metrics, and getting a good grasp of the amount of people who have read or saw a client’s feature.

Digital PR

When it comes to digital PR, the methods are similar to traditional PR, building relationships and securing placements remain top priority. The additional benefit is the impact of SEO and link building (acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own) across the Internet. And you’ll have a greater idea of just how many people your content is reaching.

Another big difference with digital PR is the importance of building and maintaining connections and partnerships with bloggers and influencers who are well-known in the digital space. These people have an extremely loyal and wide following with as much authority, it not more, than traditional sources, making their reach even greater. Both forms of PR bring their own unique benefits, making them important tools to implement into the overall client strategy.

Another important aspect is figuring out the client’s target audience. Who are they, what are their interests, and how do they prefer consuming information? Once you have the answers, research your media outlets. You want to find out what the audience or readership size is, the medium, and the topics covered. This is when the importance of the media list, a document of key media contacts who would be interested in stories about the business or area of expertise with key players, comes into play. This should include print, social, and online media. These lists are essential and should be developed early on in the planning process.

The power of social media is also a tool that should be in every PR executive’s toolbox, and utilized on a daily and consistent basis. Create positive, consistent, and accurate content. When it comes to social media, consistency is key. Users look for content from the people and brands the follow. Staying relevant is necessary to keep up with the competition. Engaging on a regular basis will also increase visibility, so the more you engage, the wider your audience becomes. Consumers spend a significant amount of time on social media (close to three hours a day) to connect with friends, find the latest products, consume their news, and get an overall sense of what’s happening around them.? Pinpoint the platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.) your target audience is spending the most time on and connect.

With all of the powerful resources available to help create and amplify a brand, public relations is essential to a company’s success. As a team that focuses on start-up companies, I can tell you there is nothing more rewarding than seeing our client’s reach new heights as a direct result of the PR efforts we put into play.

Tell us, what are some of the ways in which PR has been helpful in taking your client’s brand to the next level? Drop us a line, we’d love to hear from you!

Jenna Guarneri - JMG Public Relations