Public relations as an industry are so much more than the news stories seen on television, read in print or online and even like or shared on social media. Officially, it’s a strategic communications process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics (PRSA). What does that mean to everyone else? Simply put, the objective is to persuade an audience to achieve an end goal.
Whether it is new media outlets or contacts, technology, or social media platforms, the landscape of PR is constantly shifting, and experience matters. And if you’re in this business, it’s crucial to know about these changes in public relations. At Fort Lauderdale- and Aspen-based public relations agency Durée & Company, our 20 years of agency experience allows for insight vital to maximizing opportunities, community or trade events, or digital communications that will enhance the visibility and reputation, and brand value for our clients.
Here are our top 5 things everyone should know about public relations:
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PR, marketing, and advertising are not all the same thing, but all work together.
Each element of the PR, marketing, and advertising mix is vital to successful campaigns. What is the difference? Marketing drives sales by promoting products or services. Advertising is paid media with control over who will receive the message, when to send and where it runs, like a TV commercial, magazine ad, or banner on the top of your favorite website. PR builds the foundation by creating the general understanding and awareness of the product or service by building trust around it before launching any marketing or advertising campaigns.
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Is your news newsworthy?
If it’s not new, it’s not news. Timeliness is of the utmost concern in public relations, and if the information is more than two weeks old, the window of opportunity may have been missed. News to a client may not always be newsworthy to the media. While a client’s appearance at a local philanthropic event was essential to the leadership within the organization, a reporter for a national publication may disagree with its newsworthiness to its audience.
Guarantees are great for products, not for PR. As mentioned above, advertising is a form of controlled messaging, and there is a guarantee of it running. Many factors determine whether a reporter decides to publish a story or air a news segment about a company in public relations. And for those reasons, publicity is never guaranteed.
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PR is more than just making headlines.
Media visibility is excellent, but so is being known in the community as the thought leader within an industry. Reputation management during times of crisis or success will strengthen or enhance visibility to intended audiences. Promotion of brand values helps to ensure trust and credibility not only to customers but also to media members. Strengthening community relations displays reliability and a solid commitment to local audiences, business leaders, and media.
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The PESO Model™ of Media – Paid, Earned, Shared, or Owned (Spin Sucks)
Simply put, the PESO Model breaks down communication into four categories. When all four types are working together in harmony, PR success is sure to follow. Paid media opportunities are advertorials, sponsored content, social media advertising, and other pay-to-play prospects. Earned media is unpaid or free media opportunities like news articles, blog posts, bylined articles, and other media relations campaigns.
Shared media is information shared on social media, like re-sharing posts, reviews, and discussions in online forums or communities. Owned media is this blog post, podcasts, YouTube channels, videos, or other curated content. Our D&Co team is experts at PESO implementation and can reach intended audiences utilizing this method.
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Relationships are everything in PR
Responsiveness is vital in this business. If a media member is on deadline, to build your credibility, make sure the news is delivered the way they want it and when they want it.
Building new relationships with the media takes time and asking them how they like their pitches delivered is the best way to make a good impression from the start.
Always research a new media contact to make sure they are with the target outlet. Media databases are not always up-to-date and getting it right the first time will go a long way. Even established media relationships require some finesse. Check-in with them often, like or comment on their posts on social media and keep an open communication channel. A great way to re-engage a long-standing media relationship is to remind this media contact of a client’s expertise and offer new issues that could interest their outlet.
There is so much more to know about public relations than just spinning a story and distributing a press release. Public relations can potentially provide the value, awareness, and reach your company may desire. If you are ready to increase brand recognition and visibility, let our experienced PR agency assist you with all your public relations needs. Call us at our Fort Lauderdale office at 954.723.9350 or Aspen office at 970.452.2195, or email us at info@dureeandcompany.com.
About Durée & Company
Durée & Company, Inc. is an award-winning, full-service public relations, marketing and special events firm founded in 1999. The firm has offices in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Aspen, Colorado. Durée & Company serves the corporate, agency and nonprofit practice areas for local, national, and international clients. Services include public relations, social media, marketing, content development, advertising, special events, branding, radio promotions and more. Durée & Company clients include well-known names in business, fashion, hospitality, travel, health and wellness, cannabis and hemp, psychedelics, technology and cryptocurrency, marine and yacht, art and culture, nonprofit organizations, legal and professional services and real estate. Durée & Company is a member of PR Boutiques International™ (PRBI), an international network of boutique PR firms. To learn more, call 954-723-9350; go to dureeandcompany.com; cannabismarketingpr.com; or psychedelicpr.com. Join the social conversation and follow Durée & Company on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn at @DureeCoPR.
