Challenge Yourself To Fix Your PR Mistakes

In business, we are constantly challenged and at times, even fail to achieve our goals. But it is important to remember that each misstep gives us the chance to learn and prevent the same problem in the future. PR has continually challenged professionals and now, more than ever, many question where PR fits into a company’s marketing plan and how to improve PR strategies.

In the past, there were fewer communication channels for our PR tactics to go through. Print was a mainstay and TV and radio were growing media. Now, among Tweets, Facebook updates and various digital media, we are left questioning why our PR tactics aren’t working and where they fit in today’s world.

Before you can begin improving your PR strategies, you need to analyze why they may be failing.

5 Reasons Your PR Is Failing

1. Not Knowing Your PR Goals And How PR Fits Into Your Marketing Plan.
   Each business is different and has different PR needs. For example, you probably wouldn’t use the same strategies for a flower shop as you would for a dentist’s office. A thorough understanding of how PR fits into your type of business is vital.Create a clear understanding of how PR fits into your marketing plan. Whether you want to gain more followers or raise profits, you need to outline how you expect PR to help you achieve your goals.
2. Not Measuring PR Results.
   In the past, PR was more difficult to measure. Today, we have many analytical tools designed to show us a detailed picture of how well or how poorly our strategies are working. Concentrate on the information you can collect and analyze. Following is a short list of types of data you should analyze.
   • Social media analytics
   • Website visits
   • Demographics of the audience you’re engaging the most
   • Media successes and overall press coverage
   • The platform on which you have the highest/lowest engagement
   • What your audience responds to. For example, does your audience respond to events, speaking engagements or digital interactions?
   • What elements are working the best to drive profitability?
3. Poor Media Relations And Understanding.
   It is important to remember that a journalist’s goal is to write a great story for his or her readers. Like PR writing, journalism focuses on what will be valuable and interesting to its audiences. With this in mind, remember that if you are interviewed for a story, your story is not guaranteed to run. If another story is better, it’s up to the journalist to make the best choice for his or her audience.
4. You Aren’t Listening.
   It happens to the all of us. We get an idea or a goal and we won’t sway from it no matter what. But that’s not the way to improve. At times, you need to embrace change and alter your PR tactics to achieve your goals.Set realistic goals for your PR efforts and make adjustments when you’re not getting the results you need. If you have a good PR measurement program in place, it will be easier to see what works and where you can improve.
5. You Aren’t Ready To Share Your News.
   You can’t wait to share your hard work with the world, but is it really beneficial to share before you and your business are ready? The answer is a resounding “No.” Two essential aspects of PR are knowing your audience and providing them with valuable information about your business. However, you need to have all of your ducks in a row before you start sharing.

If you have the information, but it isn’t sculpted into an appropriate marketing message, or if you don’t have the time or proper team in place to handle the inquiries your PR generates, your efforts and marketing dollars will be wasted. Take your time, shape your PR messages and once you’re ready, then contact the media.

PR is a great way to communicate your business’s story, but when something isn’t working, changes must be made. If your PR isn’t working, it’s time to take a look at what you’re doing internally and redesign your PR strategies to give you the results you need.

Featured image courtesy of StockMonkeys.com.