4 Things to Know About PR Before You Commit to an Agency
#1: Results in PR aren't guaranteed
While I can definitely tell you about the successful placements or interviews that my clients have landed, I -- nor any other publicist -- can guarantee that I’ll get the same results for you. It’s actually against the PRSA Code of Ethics to try and guarantee you results.
Instead, I can tell you what to reasonably expect, and I always overshoot the number of pitches I’ll send compared to how many interviews or placements you want.
For example, if you want to be on 20 podcasts, I’ll send 80 pitches so we can increase our chances of hitting our goal.
#2: Not all press is made equal
Visibility will only make an impact on your goals if you show up in the right rooms. That’s why the best publicity focuses on quality over quantity and is vetted to ensure you’re hitting your target audience and not wasting time on an interview that isn’t going to be well-marketed.
For example, I vet the shows I pitch for my clients by establishing a minimum threshold based on their market and their goals and then make sure the number of reviews, the production quality, and the host’s social media following meet those requirements.
So, if you were an established lawyer that wanted to grow your Instagram following and attract 1x1 leads, I might only pitch shows that have 75+ reviews on Apple Podcasts and ensure that the hosts have at least a following of 10k on IG.
You can absolutely still be on your friend’s podcast that has a small following, but it’s not likely that that exposure will move the needle.
#3: Bigger isn't always better.
While it might feel cool to see your name in print in the April issue of Marie Claire, your social media following probably isn’t going to blow up and your payment processor won’t break down from all of the new sales.
A popular myth about PR is that the bigger the placement, the better the result. It’s everyone’s dream to be in Oprah or to be on Good Morning America, but I know many entrepreneurs who have landed those primo placements and didn’t see much of a difference when it came to sales.
Disappointing, sure. But it doesn’t mean that PR doesn’t work.
It simply means that you can’t expect one press placement to make you a household name.
In fact, I’ve seen entrepreneurs land interviews on small but engaged shows and attract more 1x1 leads than a feature in SHAPE magazine.
A good publicist gets you big placements that you can add to your As Seen In logo bar.
A great publicist lands you placements that increase web traffic, sends you new leads, AND buffs up your As Seen In logo bar.
#4: We're a team.
If you haven’t worked with a publicist before, it’s easy to assume that you can let the agency learn all about you and then send them on their way to pitch on your behalf.
But that’s the only half the story.
The truth is that you get the best results when you are actively engaged in your PR efforts and you work alongside your publicist to brainstorm new story angles, provide input on trending news topics, or provide feedback about how a specific interview went so she can know to pitch more or less shows like that.
Think of your publicist as an extension of your team.
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