Am I Missing Out On PR Opportunities For My Brand?

PR is sometimes overlooked as a key part of your marketing strategy. Whether you're an emerging brand or an established one, the right kind of PR and publicity can help build your business and create a loyal following.

The days of old-fashioned media outreach are over and brands can no longer rely solely on traditional media outlets to spread their message. With digital marketing and social media, connecting with consumers, the media, and influencers has never been easier. Now, there are ample opportunities for brands to be discovered, talked about and featured in online and offline publications. Yet, many are missing out on these opportunities.

Here are 5 common reasons why you might be missing out on media coverage and other PR opportunities:

You're not really sure what PR actually is

Public Relations (PR) is an art form, the art of communication. There’s a reason it’s called public relations - because it’s all about the people, not just the products. PR is not to be confused with advertising, customer service, or general marketing. It speaks to an audience's emotional side; what they feel about your brand and products, how they feel about themselves when they wear or use them, how they want to be perceived by others and what kind of person they want to be when donning your brand.

PRs (in-house managers, external agencies, and consultants) are the world's best storytellers. They work with journalists, influencers, stylists, and bloggers to tell your brand's story in a way that will resonate with your customers. Their role includes (but not limited to) forging and strengthening relationships between media and brands, managing a brand’s reputation, crafting narratives and pitching press releases.

You believe that PR is too expensive

Let's put this limiting belief to bed. PR is an investment, not an expense. It’s about getting your message out there, building awareness for your brand, and helping influential media tell stories about you. It doesn't have to be expensive or time-consuming - it just needs to be done well.

“If I only had 2 dollars left, I’d spend $1 dollar on PR” - Bill Gates… If that doesn’t say it all, we don’t know what does! 

Whether you work with a PR consultant or agency, have someone in-house, or you're a new Founder who's learning as you go, you don't need to spend thousands of dollars to get the press coverage that will help your business grow. There are plenty of ways to utilise PR without breaking the bank or spending too much time on it - start with a good hook, research publications and editors, write your own pitches, engage with your community on social media, and capture high-quality imagery to compliment your story. 

You don't use social media and influencers as part of your PR strategy

Social media is a powerful tool for PR. Whilst it's been around for a long time now, not everyone has figured out how to use it effectively. Incorporating social media into your PR strategy gives you the opportunity to show off your brand’s personality as well as build trust amongst consumers who are trying to decide whether or not to buy from you. It's also a fantastic platform for releasing information about your products or sharing news stories that reflect positively on your brand. This can help create buzz around your brand, which in turn translates into increased sales and visibility.

Don’t disregard influencer partnerships as part of your PR strategy. The relationship between influencers and their fans is seemingly very personal. Influencers are able to reach out and touch a niche audience in a way that traditional media are unable to. This allows them to establish credibility for your brand, reach new audiences and increase engagement with existing customers.

You haven't invested in time or resources to handle media requests

We know you're busy and it can be tempting to focus on your core business. But if you want to get the word out about your brand and products, you've got to make time and resources available for handling media requests and publicity opportunities. Some brands don't understand the value of PR and see it as a waste of time and money or as something only big companies do. But PR is very effective for small businesses wanting to gain exposure - especially if you're not able to spend a lot on advertising or marketing. After all, if you don't invest in the promotion of your brand, no one else will.

Dealing with the media can feel like you're swimming in a sea of emails & DMs. Having a system for tracking all requests and conversations will help you stay organised and keep track of which publications have responded, which stories have been assigned an editor, and which ones haven't heard back from anyone at all yet. Flaunter's press centre helps brand managers and PRs build better relationships with the press, track content downloads, and save hours every day. Try it for free today.

You're reactive, not proactive

Do you ever wonder why some brands receive lots of media coverage and editorial placements while others don't? It's not because they're lucky; it's because they're proactive. If you want to be in the spotlight, you need to be willing to put yourself out there and do whatever it takes. It’s easy to think that just because your company is small or because you're a startup, no one will care about what you have to say. But if you don't actively connect with and share your story with journalists, no one will ever know about it! 

The key to getting the most out of your PR strategy is to build relationships with editors and writers. You should be sharing information with media and content creators on a regular basis so that when an opportunity arises to share your story with a wider audience you're already on their radar. 

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