PR / Public Relations

Public Relations is the way you can communicate to your target audience via media, whether that is through printed or digital media. It is the activity you do to create and maintain goodwill and a positive image of your brand. It is an effective way to give your brand visibility at low cost. If you are planning to do your own PR then bear in mind the following:

• You should have a strategy in place before you embark on any PR. The goal is to make noise but not be aimless – it should be consistent with all your other marketing efforts.
• Focus on articles of interest and not self-serving or blatant advertising – editors can spot that old flannel a mile off! Focus on the reader and write for them.
• Do some research about which publications are suitable for you. Are they local/regional/national or trade specific? Nurture your editors and don’t be nervous about asking them what kind of articles they are on the lookout for – it’s a lot easier to get published if you are answering an editor’s requirement.
• Do not plagiarise – it’s just not worth the risk and it is the surest route to destroying your own credibility and that of your brand. Do a ton of research and read all your competitors articles but when it comes to putting pen to paper it has to be all your own words.

If you are not a good writer or you lack confidence in your literary prowess it is well worth hiring a pro. A good copywriter will be able to research and write an article for you in short order. Be specific when you brief them and make sure they can write in your voice and not impose their own into your articles.

If you write your own articles, always, always get somebody else to proofread them for you. It is nigh on impossible to proofread your own work effectively. Your brain will always translate what it expects to see instead of what is actually there. There is nothing like spelling and grammatical mistakes to dent an editor’s faith in you.

Your relationship with an editor is as important as your relationship with your customers – it is worth nurturing and developing.

Yorkshire Powerhouse thinking on PR

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