It’s little wonder entrepreneurs professional experts are confused about (a) what PR is, and (b) how it can help them grow their brand and their business, when crap, as outlined below, pops up in people’s social feeds.
I recently came across a LinkedIn post written by a so-called PR ‘guru’ (he seemed to talk a big game, that’s for sure – but scratch beneath the surface … ahem).
Indeed, he made a few big sweeping statements, which I take umbrage with.
WHAT HE SAID: “Building your set and forget PR machine”
WHAT I SAY: PR is not an ‘evergreen sales funnel’ that you can switch on and off 🤦♂️ PR, done well, will strengthen your brand and your business over the long-term, building your reputation and engendering trust within the marketplace.
WHAT HE SAID: “PR’s a roll of the dice that my entrepreneurial inner gambler loves.”
WHAT I SAY: PR has got nothing to do with gambling; indeed, that implies it’s risky, which of course is absurd. Not having a savvy PR program in place is what I’d call risky for your business 🙄
WHAT HE SAID: “When PR hits, it usually does in a big way.”
WHAT I SAY: I don’t even know what this means? I guess he’s talking about media coverage (which isn’t ‘PR’ per se)? 🤔 Anyway, even if he’s confusing PR for publicity, most media activity will take a while – maybe even years! – to make an impact. Unless you have a meaty news hook that ticks all the right boxes and genuinely has mass appeal (it can happen, but it’s rare), then expect the road to sustained publicity to be a slow and steady one (read about my ‘rolling thunder strategy’ here)
Tread warily folks!
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