How can you use PR to attract new customers?

One of the inherent strengths of PR is its ability to target your key customer base by generating media coverage in platforms likely to be seen by targeted customers. You can create broad branding in multiple platforms without spending all your money on a single platform. David Brimm Brimmcomm Dbrimm@brimmcomm.com

There is quite a bit of incorrect information about public relations, and what it is, and what it can do for you. There are too many practitioners in the business who cannot perform well or meet the objectives you need. So the first thing you must do is to educate yourself on the practice itself--what it is and how it complements your marketing efforts. What I advise is to only involve publicists with international agency experience in your business. International agencies build professionals through grit and hard core training. They understand the true meaning of objectives, strategies and tactics. And remember, at a time when trust can be low, there is nothing like PR to build your brand positively -- we do this best.

PR is a method to amplify your voice as an individual, business owner, industry expert, and/or product/content creator. The first step is to know who you are, why you do what you do, and how you can add value/benefit to your audience. The second step is to clearly and concisely tell your story to attract and keep the audience of your existing audience and new demographics. The third step is to listen to the feedback to properly address the interest and needs of your target audience. The more you understand your customers the easier it is to build brand awareness and loyalty. The foundation is ready to proceed with next steps with engaging PR services, a publicity campaign, or be media trained then pitched to be featured by the press.

Start with key messaging and knowing the core of why your audience resonates with your brand. You are NOT just selling a product or service. You are selling your brand story. That story should include key messaging around why you are best equipped to solve your audience's problem, and why it matters.

Adam's suggestion to start with key messaging is perfect. Once you know what these are, and internal stakeholders are aware of them have approved of them, then explore each medium -- press releases, yes, but also Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok by leaning into each medium's audience base. Tap into the various staff members' experience, young, old, ethnic backgrounds, etc. to help you understand how to reach out to each audience base.

The foundation of PR is built on relationship building. The best relationships take time to develop. They can’t be rushed. When I teach business owners how to do their own PR I place a huge emphasis on the transformation rather than the transaction. Interact with journalists online and offline, engage in their social media content, show that you care, it helps to break the ice when sending a pitch. One of my clients is regularly contacted by journalists at Stylist and Fortune because she’s worked on building a relationship and pitching ideas that are relevant to the outlets audience

The art of public relations is how you create, nurture and maintain relationships with the media. I recommend starting in your local community. People often make the mistake of shooting for the top tier media. Unless you have a breaking story that would impact a large group of people, think about the community newspapers, local news shows and radio stations who would appreciate your insight about what the community needs to know or engage in. Small businesses are an interesting story for city news, and it helps the economy. As you build your database, get to know how media prefers to be contact (phone, text, DM, email), what days and hours of the week (avoid the deadlines to tell them your story), and what do they cover.

Do not leave PR to chance or to something inexpensive found on the Internet. With a story or pitch designed to drive traffic online or to a location, ensure that all components of a successful PR campaign are properly planned out first. In PR, a big waste is just submitting a press release and hoping journalists run the story.

First, create Key Messages to share across all platforms. These establish standards for consistency. They should be honed to no more than three, clear messages. If you extend past three, you lose audience attention. Then, brainstorm freely without critiques. After the ideas slow down, identify the best ideas and guide your team to bring them to completion. With those, share them across platforms. Each platform stakeholder will explore and refine them on their platform. TikTok messages should be homemade, fun (dancing is acceptable), even unpolished; Twitter should be tight, funny; and press releases can be flowery, but ensure to link to other sources -- your blogs, websites, etc. to keep the release short and quickly digestible.

In my experience, I have noticed that most people have no idea how to network effectively. While you open with a greeting and how this event is great for meeting people whether in the same industry or something different, there is a delicate balance of offering information about yourself and your business. Create an elevator pitch/speech that is only about 45 seconds or less in length (the time it usually takes to ride in an elevator). It should be engaging as well as informative so that the person will want to learn more. Keep a smile on your face to keep your energy up. If there is synergy, ask if they would like to collaborate on how you both can benefit especially if you are new to the area.

With any PR campaign, even just a single press release, ensure that everything to boost the story is ready and utilized for the biggest possible splash - including video, socials, SEO, and if relevant, a proper lead funnel landing page. Consult with a PR professional to ensure that the PR campaign is successful and the right strategy is implemented.