PR isn't for everyone.

It's a common mistake made by organizations of a certain size and growth stage.

Maybe an executive is pushing for "more press." Or maybe the sales team sees a lack of awareness among customers as the reason numbers are down.

Or maybe it's that you, business owner, marketing manager, came from another company where PR was done well.

So you go out and hire a PR agency. Spending thousands of dollars - but not a lot of time - on trying to secure media coverage that "puts you on the map."

Six months later, the hard talks with your executives and the agency begin.

"Why aren't we landing bigger hits?"

"What is this effort really getting us in terms of ROI?"

"Why are we spending this much money on PR?"

So, you stop. And the result? A handful of media stories in the trades. Thousands wasted. A black mark on your stellar marketing record.

The reason for these exceedingly common scenarios is simple.

A basic lack of understanding about the time, effort and true use of PR.

To succeed, you need to take a big step back and realize: PR on it's own? Pretty useless.

PR should be one of many coordinated, collaborative efforts in your marketing mix. Media coverage may be nice to have, but without a product that warrants media attention or a strategy for leveraging great coverage in front of customers, it's an expensive drop in the bucket of marketing efforts.

I encourage anyone considering hiring a firm for the first time, beg you, in fact, to first take a big step back and consider how PR will really help. Will it be supported by the appropriate budget, marketing tactics, and time from internal parties? Will awareness at the top of the funnel (where traditional PR tactics sit) get the results you need near term?

If you're not sure, consider bringing in someone whose experience lends itself to these questions. A two-hour workshop with a consultant who will ask the right questions and provide honest support in finding the answers will save you thousands in the long run.

It's simple: PR isn't for everyone, but everyone can be smart about PR. Look before you leap, and avoid wasted time and resources.

#PRfirm #PublicRelations #StrategicPlanning