Public Relations for Beginners

Ready to get the PR basics under your belt?

Let’s break it down.

Imagine you’re in high school. (Deep breaths, we know.)?

Put yourself in the place of a popular kid or sports star. Everyone knows your name; you constantly get high-fives in the hallway. You barely even need to hang up posters when you run for Student Council President.

But you also have a reputation to uphold because everyone - everyone - has certain expectations of you.?

Public relations, or PR for short, is a little like managing that reputation – but on a much bigger scale.

In the real world, entrepreneurs, authors, leaders, companies, organizations, influencers, and celebrities each have their own reputation.?

And just like you’d want to be seen in the best light walking the hallways of your high school, each of these entities also desires to maintain a positive image in the eyes of the public and their audience.

So…What do PR professionals DO?

They’re the smooth operators behind the scenes, working to shape and manage public perception while #1) Spreading the word about their clients and #2) Getting them in front of the right audiences.

Much like messaging specialists, PR specialists are masters of storytelling.?

They can hear a story and, from it, pull attractive talking points and a compelling thread ready to share with media, social media, and other channels to grab people’s attention and create a positive buzz.

They’ll also organize events to get people in the door and get them talking with the client positioned as the expert in the room.

It’s All In The Pitch

PR specialists are the masters of what we call “The Pitch.” Knowing there are only a few short seconds to grab a journalist’s attention, PR folks know how to lead with value.?

And sometimes, the media rep will accept a pitch simply because they know and trust the PR professional sending it.

Once that pitch is accepted, the PR team will arrange client interviews with the public-facing outlet, including journalists, podcast hosts, editors, or print or TV media.?

The Pitch is also crucial for building relationships with influencers, journalists, community leaders, and more. PR folks want to consistently connect their clients with the right people, creating a network of supporters who will vouch for the client and help them reach their visibility goals.

More Than Spin

Some folks assume that PR professionals are all about cleanup after a scandal or negative press, but that’s simply not the case.?

More importantly, public relations is – pretty literally – about a person’s relationship with the public. Building and maintaining that relationship in a mutually beneficial way is a key component of a good PR strategy.

Find yourself a PR firm that operates on your behalf to build solid and lasting relationships with media, journalists, and publications.?

While this process is centered around the long game and takes planning, time, and effort, it’s well worth it. You never know when a local TV spot will get picked up by national media, or an article in your niche publication will lead to greater circulation.?

Relationships are an absolute necessity for real visibility, credibility, and profitability.?

At The Whitter Group, we offer two levels of PR support, depending on your bandwidth and budget, that work alongside strategic messaging to amplify your story’s reach and maximize every touchpoint you have with your ideal audience.

Ready to dip your toes into the power of PR? We suggest starting with a press release to test the waters of how your message lands with your audience.?

Our press releases offer (Almost) Instant Impact, leading to increased visibility and credibility right away as we carefully craft and distribute your press release to our media network. To get started, send us a DM or book a spot in our Calendly!