Don't Let These Three PR Myths Stop You From Harnessing Its Power

In a mini farming colony nestled betwixt 2 mountains, a man claimed to beryllium a rainmaker. This man would locomotion astir nan village, splashing group successful nan look pinch water, declaring, "Look! It's raining! My powers person brought rain!"

At first, nan villagers, hopeless for nan rainfall to nourish their fields, celebrated nan rainmaker. But arsenic nan weeks went on, nan reservoirs remained quiet and crops continued to wither. A wise female saw this and challenged nan man's rainmaker abilities by telling him to nutrient a rainstorm that saved nan crops.

The man ran done nan colony successful response, splashing group successful nan look pinch moreover much water. But nan villagers now saw what was happening, and they turned to nan wise female to speak to nan rainmaker connected their behalf. The female stood successful nan halfway of town, challenging nan rainmaker's superficial claims and said, "Don't scatter h2o connected my look and show maine it's raining."

The villagers were disillusioned and felt foolish for trusting nan rainmaker. But nan wise female showed them really to seizure h2o and find drought-resilient crops. The villagers worked very hard, and they learned to spot nan wise female because moreover though her solutions were harder, their crops thrived yearly because of her methods.

This communicative is simply a applicable parable for public relations because it illustrates nan differences betwixt speedy answers and superficial results to semipermanent solutions, on pinch authenticity. I stock it because location are galore misconceptions astir PR. Some misconceptions person to do pinch nan media's portrayal of PR professionals, and immoderate of it is simply a misunderstanding astir what PR is — and isn't.

Before you hire a PR firm, whether you person large ambitions aliases location is simply a crisis, it's amended to understand wherever PR tin and can't thief you.

Related: 5 Common Misconceptions About Public Relations

Myth #1: Public relations is simply a shield for bad behavior

Destructive behaviour differs from an unanticipated crisis.

We tin foretell bad behaviour outcomes; astir PR group tin spot them coming good successful advance. Whether it's unethical business choices, inauthentic advertizing claims aliases gaslighting your customers for illustration "the rainmaker" did, there's nary escaping responsibility. This is particularly existent if you're trying to gaslight a journalist. The net holds a agelong grudge, and journalists, for illustration nan wise female above, will yet drawback on.

Public relations isn't astir "spin" aliases misleading journalists aliases nan public. PR is astir transparency and authenticity. It's state of nan property — nan First Amendment of nan U.S. Constitution — that gives PR its power. PR professionals can't conscionable large wind a newsroom aliases salary disconnected an editor to return down antagonistic news. If journalists removed each antagonistic (but accurate) news article from their newspaper aliases website because readers bombarded nan PR supplier of nan personification aliases institution involved, location would beryllium nary free property — and media sum would clasp nary value.

Public relations tin thief you navigate done nan revelation of inappropriate behavior, but it can't hole nan choices you've made. Typically, inappropriate behaviour requires an apology. But judge it aliases not, nan apology is only the first step connected a agelong road. And that roadworthy whitethorn aliases whitethorn not see property sum successful nan aftermath. It's these adjacent steps that are highly situational.

Related: How to Build Your Personal Brand and Enhance Your Google Presence Through nan Power of Public Relations

Myth #2: PR and advertizing are nan aforesaid thing

Digital PR is applicable successful today's fast-paced media world. The number of contented opportunities for thought leaders particularly has undoubtedly increased. But that doesn't mean nationalist relations is simply a sales channel.

The biggest and astir important favoritism is that successful some owned and paid media, you power nan content. You don't ain nan contented aliases nan story's guidance successful PR. Public relations professionals usage their knowledge and connections to guideline nan coverage, but nan editor chooses nan outcome. Again, nan powerfulness of PR is independency — that's why it's valuable. It brings a third-party trusted perspective; nationalist relations is astatine nan apical of nan consciousness funnel.

If you're looking to PR to thrust income and way them, it's a setup for failure. There are a fewer reasons for this. In earned coverage, location is nary guarantee that a nexus will look successful nan article. Sometimes, a nexus is included and sometimes it isn't, but that's an editorial determination that's retired of nan hands of your PR team.

I announcement a sizeable uptick successful nonstop postulation pinch earned media. It's difficult to pinpoint wherever nonstop postulation comes from, but we typically announcement a akin correlation. Does that postulation convert? It depends connected galore factors — nan website, nan conversion, nan cohort and nan visitor's familiarity pinch nan website. That's not to opportunity location isn't worth to search this, but location are excessively galore factors astatine play to property each of this website postulation and conversions to PR.

There are opportunities wherever PR and income whitethorn transverse over, for illustration connection programs for user products, but ethical PR professionals will articulate nan differences. Does PR help sales and business development? You bet. Showcasing your media sum gives your business improvement and income channels further credibility. It's not uncommon to spot clips of media sum utilized successful advertising.

Related: Publicity Is Not Free Advertising. Don't Destroy Your Efforts to Get Press By Slipping Into Sales Mode.

Myth #3: PR is only astir media coverage

You could beryllium forgiven if you only deliberation astir PR erstwhile you spot media coverage. It's surely nan astir visible and requested result for PR. The reality is that PR encompasses a wide scope of activities and strategies aimed astatine building and maintaining a affirmative reputation.

PR could touch each azygous portion of your company, from merchandise improvement to quality relations to, of course, marketing. Involving PR from nan commencement of immoderate stakeholder-affected inaugural gives you an edge. Not only will affirmative estimation building beryllium authentically accounted for successful nan programme from nan start, PR professionals often person heavy insights into user perceptions and media opportunities, which could impact almost each program.

Another usage of ongoing PR is having a PR situation plan. Most companies person vulnerability they don't moreover consider. If your squad is onsite, what happens if personification is earnestly injured, aliases worse, while there? What if your merchandise hurts personification because of value aliases manufacturing error? Once an identifiable situation happens, nan first 3 hours afterward will group nan reside for really your institution comes retired of nan crisis. Having a PR squad that knows your brand, understands your squad and has nan entree and scheme to enactment quickly is an important asset.

While these myths whitethorn person changed your perceptions of PR, it is simply a powerful plus for immoderate company, particularly eager ones. When readying to prosecute PR, retrieve these myths. Not only will they thief you place a PR scheme that useful for you, but they will besides thief you find nan champion PR agencies that are candid pinch you astir PR opportunities and differences.