The long game of PR
BY STEVE DUBIN
Received an e-mail from a publication affiliated with Forbes Magazine last requesting an interview with a PR Works client. Great news, right?
Right! At least after it happens and appears in print and online.
What stands out the most about this interview request is how long it took to evolve.
Earlier this year, our client acquired four dry cleaning franchises, make it the largest cleaning company on the planet. Big news, right, and worthy of media attention. It did get some attention. You always want more.
Yet, editors view what’s news and not news a little different from the lay person. Especially in light of what other stories are out there and what’s going on in their newsroom.
This story came about after a release announcing a deal with Disney On Ice. Admittedly, it was a brag piece. Yet as we say at PR Works, if you blow your own horn, you can usually choose the tune. And, in some cases, editors need to hear the tune a second time.
With this story, the release provided a clear example of how our client’s acquisition made it possible to attain the Disney On Ice contract. That gave it some cache, some duende, some sizzle. Hence, the editor passed it on to a reporter and now we have a feature in play.
Putting out a press release on news within your business can generate coverage. Yet if that’s the first time an editor of a publication has heard about or from your company, they may hold back before running a release or inquiring further.
Publications know the value of coverage. Their judgement is whether or not that coverage adds value to their readers’ experience of the publication.
That’s why when PR Works starts working with a client, it’s usually on a three month retainer. We want to get a few releases out and generate a buzz with editors at targeted publications.
Don’t get us wrong.
First releases for clients do hit.
Yet one-and-done PR campaigns don’t often work. For PR to truly be successful for your business and to generate a buzz and traction in the search engines, you truly have to play the long game. Sometimes, it’s the second, third, fourth, fifth or more charm that counts.
Interested in what a campaign for your firm might look like? Drop a line or give us a call at 781-582-1061