Often clients come to me because they truly want to get the recognition they deserve in the form of publicity both online and in the media. They’re looking for a starting point to get the word out so they have a general understanding of press releases and strategies. This is an important step in building your brand awareness and increasing credibility. At the same time there are often key foundational pieces missing. Pieces that need to be in place before you really start creating publicity buzz. And, I’m always upfront about that.
It’s important to be ready for publicity because publicity is more valuable than paid advertising and it’s more believable. This means that the right publicity can bring you more customers and create immediate trust. It can also be the most cost effective way to build brand and business buzz. BUT, you do need to be ready and I often see people trying to get publicity when it’s just not time yet.
4 reasons why you might not be ready for #publicity yet Click To TweetHere are the top four reasons your business might not be ready for publicity.
1) You haven’t truly defined what success means to you. This could take the form of not knowing what it looks and feels like and it could also mean that you don’t know how to measure success.
2) You don’t REALLY have a plan or strategy. This could mean that you have a loose business plan but you haven’t fully looked at your big picture plan to create the lifestyle of your dreams personally and professionally.
3) Your website isn’t up to par. This could mean that your site is lacking key information that your business needs to appear credible to the general public and to the media AND you likely don’t have a plan to manage increased web traffic
4) You don’t have a publicity plan. This could mean you don’t know how to craft a press release that will be media worthy and/or you don’t know where to start when it comes to submitting your press release both online and offline. This could also mean that your bio is not as juicy as it needs to be
Take a moment to assess your business. Ask yourself:
- What does success TRULY mean to me?
- Do I have big picture plan to support my ideal life (personally and professionally)
- What could I do to improve my website today?
- Do I have a publicity plan and/or is that realistic for my business right now?
- Should I consider investing in professional help to create a plan to make my dreams a reality?
Great information Lisa – I agree in particular with the issue of the website not being up to par – it is often a shame when people get great publicity and then don’t have an offer, a backend or a useable website with an opt in for people to visit to find out more or no system to follow up inquiries. Lost opportunity to connect!
Heidi,
It’s so true. People often don’t have a plan or strategy in place. You may have heard the industry term that copy is king? Well, I challenge that and say that copy is queen and content strategy is king. You can have the best written copy in the world but with no plan or strategy it could still fall flat. This is especially true on websites.
Write on!~
Lisa
This is great advice and gives us all things to think about and get done before launching into massive PR. Thanks so much, Lisa.
Sue,
You are welcome. It’s all about strategy.
Write on!~
Lisa
Thanks for all the great information Lisa. I feel silly saying that I really have never considered publicity in my marketing plan. You have turned the light on for me in understanding this opportunity. I don’t have a publicity plan and now I know I need one and why. Thanks so much.
Debbie,
You are welcome. You can get a quick jumpstart by grabbing my Quick Start Guide for PR here http://writeoncreative.com/marketingsuccess
Write on!~
Lisa
Hi Luke,
Great point. Reliable hosts and servers are a must.
Write on!~
Lisa