Isn’t Public Relations Only For National Exposure?
July 9, 2012 Leave a comment
My general rule of thumb is to never use the word only when referring to public relations. For example, statements such as: public relations is only for celebrities, or PR is only for major corporations, or PR is only for national exposure are all incorrect statements. Yet, most people have a tendency to think about PR in that type of only perspective. Which is why there are so many misconceptions around what PR is and how media relations works. Those type of onlys tend to shut people down and often lead business owners and entrepreneurs to make the wrong marketing decisions.
So they miss out on finding new ways to establish their business, bring in more clients, make more money and build their brand. For example let’s take the statement that PR is only for national exposure. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are a number of ways businesses can local marketing exposure for national companies is one of the most overlooked areas of opportunity. Local exposure for businesses that provide products and services only in a designated local geographical area generally have an abundance of exposure opportunities available to them.
The truth is that PR, like a car, can be used for a multiple of reasons. If you’d never bought a car and you heard that they were only for celebrities, or only for professional race car drivers, or only for the owners of large corporations, you’d think twice before buying, but think of what you’d be missing. There are myriad reasons that people buy cars. Some drivers only want a car for local transportation, others cover long distances, some carry equipment and are used for work, others are high end or turbo charged; it all depends on the driver and his or her needs. And the same is true when it comes to launching a public relations campaign. Your primary focus might be local or national, or a blend of the two; your aim might be to build your business, or bring in more clients, or establish yourself as an expert in your field, or establish your brand. All of those are legitimate goals that can be accomplished via PR, publicity and media relations.
PR is perfect for start ups, small businesses, huge corporations, artists, celebrities, physicians… you can pretty much fill in the blank. It is a form of marketing that you can utilize to meet your particular business and marketing needs.
So figure out what your marketing goals are. What is your target market? Who is your audience? Who are your clients and customers? Once you know your objectives you can develop a public relations campaign custom made for you and your business.
Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012
to implement your campaign. Although some books are evergreen some are time sensitive. This is one time you don’t have the luxury of learning as you go. Although you hope that your book will become a classic and continue to sell throughout the years, your book has a shelf life. You need to launch an effective campaign even before it’s published. If you want to have it reviewed, you need to send a copy of your book, or the galleys, to reviewers, often as long as three months before the publication date. Once it’s published, you immediately want to hit the local media, the talk shows, and the national press. One area you definitely want to focus on is national and regional radio. There are hundreds of regional and local radio talk shows and current event-oriented programs that feature books and authors. These interviews are almost always conducted over the phone. You can be at home in your bathrobe, discussing your book, while thousands of people listen.
