Many people perceive the PR industry as secretive. However, the reality is the opposite, there should be no secrets when it comes to PR.
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions and myths we like to answer 🙂
Is there a line between PR and advertisement?
Many people ask what is the line between PR and advertisement? PR tends to focus its attention on earned media. This is when your business deserves to be in a publication due to its brilliance and expertise.
It is a common myth in the PR world that PR cannot be paid for, but in our opinion this is not the case. When appropriate, paid for marketing is often a valuable option for our clients. An example of this would be if a client wanted information to be seen by their specific target audience, then strategies such as social media ads may be their best option.
‘Lighting the fire’…
When launching a company or campaign, you need an initial piece to ‘light the fire’. This may be a legitimate news item that focuses on a topic that relates to your company’s product or service. If the readership takes a further interest in your piece, they will want to know more. The main idea is that you are gifting knowledge to your reader, and in turn it can increase awareness of your company’s name in a subtler and less obvious manner.
‘To keep the fire burning’, it is definitely important to consider an advertising budget to keep public awareness increasing, but also to keep a positive public image.
Is PR really a ‘dark art’?
Another common myth is that ‘PR is a dark art’. Again, this is not the reality. PR is an incredible and extremely useful part of the marketing mix. PR works to build and maintain a positive reputation for their clients. We aim to get your company in the press for the right reasons, which also helps build on that positive reputation.
As a PR agency, we also predict where your customers will be, so that we can publish information in places they are likely to see, whether on social media or in the local newspaper. Forming strong relationships with journalists is also important, so you know what they are likely to write about, and often pushing them to write a positive story about your company.
Is it true that PR results cannot be measured?
A further myth that many other PR agencies may put out is that PR cannot be measured. PR is a form of marketing, so the results of a PR campaign can be measured.
There are many methods of measuring PR strategies, including analytical tools such as Google Analytics. It works by collecting data from your websites and apps, creating a report that provides insight into how your business is doing. A very simple method is to ask people how they discovered your business. The answers could be through a social media ad, a newspaper report, or directly through word of mouth.
There is also technology that shows the number of brand mentions, the amount of links that go back to your website, the monthly views of your website and the reach of your company. All of these factors can indicate how well your company is being marketed.
Furthermore, you can also use technology to track how many people have come to the website, specifically the PR campaign. To conclude, PR can be measured – so it should be!
What are the indicators that suggest whether an award is good or bad?
Many frequently ask how can you tell if an award is good, and how do you know which ones to avoid? Being nominated and/or winning a good award is valuable to your business. This is because it can increase trust, public perception and awareness.
Often with the good awards, you won’t be emailed, you will have to go through the process yourself. However, some organisations may email you first to let you know that you have been nominated, but you will then have to go through their application process yourself.
One indication that an award may not be legitimate is that you have to pay to apply. The majority of the prestigious awards will allow a company to apply free of charge, but may have to pay to attend the awards ceremony to fund the event.
Before deciding to attend, it is worth looking into how much coverage you may receive after being nominated for or winning an award, as good coverage is worth a lot. Furthermore, it is definitely worth looking at the categories to ensure this award is the right fit for your business.
Legitimate awards have a judging panel and often have to read hundreds of applications, so first impressions count. Make sure it is enjoyable to read and show that significant effort has been put in.
Winning an award or even being nominated for one can have positive outcomes, so if it feels right, go for it!
PR = Positive Reputation
At Admire PR, PR stands for positive reputation! Hopefully, this has debunked a few common myths and helped you understand the importance of PR for your business!
