Because it’s definitely not all Samantha Jones and Olivia Pope all the time...
There are many myths and misconceptions about PR that are not only wrong but, in many cases, very very wrong.
Starting off with the biggest myth... you cannot pay for earned media.
People will claim guaranteed media for you or your business and tell you that you can pay for inclusion but I would really like to make it clear that you cannot pay for earned media. It is simply not a thing.
First of all, earned media is any material written about you or your business that you haven't paid for or created yourself. In many ways, earned media's nickname is "publicity." While you may pay a publicist or agency to procure such media, you haven't paid for this media to be created - the way you would for an advertisement - and therefore your actions and story are what earned you the attention.
It is - in all honesty - one of the best possible ways to build credibility, exposure and solid awareness. Someone else is championing your brand through earned and organic channels.
So how do you "earn" earned media?
Have an engaging, compelling story
Create content worth sharing.
Invest plenty of time investing in proper compelling imagery.
Build & execute a strong social media presence around your brand story
Make your customers really, really happy.
Earned media can include press coverage, social media mentions, shares and retweets, product or company reviews, and blog posts authored outside your company. Earned media is organic and you should not trust someone who says it can be bought.
Other common PR myths:
Good products don't need publicity - only bad products do
You want people to know about your best product. You should be proud of it and making it the centrepiece of any publicity or marketing campaign.
Honestly I don't even know who came up with this one but it's about as fake as they come!
PR, marketing and advertising are all the same thing
PR is earned, advertising is paid and both fall under the marketing umbrella. Let me repeat - Advertising is what you pay for, PR is what your PRAY for.
There is no writing involved in PR
PR is approximately 70% writing. Pitches, press releases, blog posts, social media posts, emails and countless other things. We cultivate and build our relationships with the media to deliver powerful messaging and exposure for you.
PR is easy
HA - anyone will tell you - PR is not easy! In fact, in today's world - with the most competitive media landscape in history, PR is extremely difficult. It takes smarts, organization, thinking about things from every angle before anyone else and being able to tell your story in a unique way, tailored to each journalist. Truthfully - I call myself a magician on a daily basis.
WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?
Take it from me, a PR maven. I know the truth behind these myths. PR pros are the people who get you featured in top-tier publications, the people who are the drivers of all things influence.
You want credibility, you want exposure and you want a sound reputation to build your brand. You do that by working with a dedicated publicist to drive a really powerful narrative, and in turn, get that ROI.
I understand why my clients say things like “I want my business to be featured in XX magazine” or “I want to be on XX TV show”. This is because this builds immense credibility.
In order to get those features, you need a PR expert.
Or, if you don't have the budget (we don't always do at the beginning) you need to be trained and educated by a PR expert. And that's where I come in.
When you want that exposure, you can bring someone like myself on to build a strategic plan and provide you with a sound campaign. Or you can dive in through my tried, tested and true pitch template to start off yourself.
I know just how vital is to help you and your business truly earn earned media.
Need help with business or branding? Or even starting with the very basic at where to start?
Do it right, and do it now - don't delay what immense success can look like.
xx
D.
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