As seen on the Austin Business Journal
By Kathleen Lucente
Proving your company’s value starts long before a big public announcement or a key deal, and it starts with a solid, well-planned media relations strategy. Expecting real results from a one-off press release is like basing your entire financial future on a lottery ticket.
The challenge is that too often, companies don’t start building a media relations strategy until they are in desperate need of press coverage. In my over 25 years as a communications professional, I’ve seen this play out time and time again for companies that easily could have created a plan for media relations development to establish their brand but instead seem to arrive at agencies with a PR emergency. This is a loss for the company and for the agency, because at the end of the day, the press isn’t on the same schedule as the company that wants the press. Reporters determine what is worthy of news, they have their own deadlines and even if your news is intriguing, the reality is that your urgency isn’t their emergency. A great PR firm needs to be engaged early on to build the cadence and momentum needed for establishing the right media connections and relationships so the foundation is in place long before your big news moments happen..
A successful media relations plan requires an investment in people’s time, creativity and thought leadership as well as a maintenance strategy. Company leadership at every level needs to have a collective fire in the belly to stay ahead of the competition and know what makes their brand the one to beat. Customers are savvy, and they know they have choices. You have to make them believe that your company is the only smart choice.
You need the right people on your public relations and marketing teams from the start. It’s a big mistake to bring in communications help at the end of the process. These teams will not just execute your end message, they should help you create it. Work with your communications and sales team to dig into why people should choose your service or product. Why should people work at your company? How do you make a customer’s business or their life better? It’s equally important to consider what the obstacles are for sales and when the conversations really click. Even if you think you know the answer, your public relations team can help you figure out the best way to articulate your message.
List the areas in which you want to stand above the competition. Then look around your company and identify who can best speak to each strength. If you’re in a crowded space you need a subject matter expert who can make something that is complex crystal clear to the audiences that your company wants to reach.
Once you have your A-team assembled, your PR experts should connect with the media outlets who reach your target audiences. If you lay a foundation with the media early on, let them get to know your company and what it’s about from the inside, you have a much better chance at getting your story out there when you have news of your own. Establishing a rapport with reporters gives them someone to call for quotes or analysis in their subject area when news warrants it. Getting your experts air time or in print reflects well on your brand.
A robust media relations plan is backed by strategy. It should have a quarterly plan that maps to business goals and also weaves in trending stories in the news. The best companies in the world leverage their media relations team to influence a number of audiences and business strategies. Those include things like building a brand reputation, attracting top talent, and supporting the sales team by creating a brand that prospectl already.
If you are still not sold on the need for a media relations strategy, consider these questions:
- Do you have a management team that fires off comments and emails about the competition, wondering why they seem to be in the press regularly?
- Are you in an industry where differences between competitors are hard to define?
- Do you have a sales team that is constantly saying “No one knows who we are?”
- Are customers signing contracts with other companies because they don’t realize you have expanded your services?
- Are you trying to break into a new market?
- Is there a plan to position the company to be acquired or to go public?
- Is your executive team trying to secure more funding?
- Are you getting pressure to showcase the company culture and win awards so you can hire and retain great employees?
- Do you have a calendar of conferences, speaking engagements and customer announcements that aren’t getting their fair share of PR?
A solid media relations strategy can take care of all of these problems, but. none of this will happen overnight. A good public relations partner needs time to learn about your company, the culture, the executives, the vision before an effective strategy can come together.
It is your company’s story. Don’t let someone else tell it for you. Invest time and resources in a real relationship with a PR company that has seen it all and can help you avoid stumbling blocks that can derail even the best business plan. Using a smart media relations strategy that evolves organically from such a relationship will keep your company’s story moving forward when others are just yesterday’s news.
