The Five P’s of Public Relations

It is fair to say that public relations can be both complex and overwhelming, and it doesn’t help that there are similar acronyms used to identify a variety of aspects within the industry. Did you know that most people commonly assume that PR means “press release” when in all actuality, it stands for the service of building a positive relationship between the public and your company or “public relations”.
So, if you are one of the many stumped by the 4 P’s of public relations, here is some information to help you define what they are and the role they play in helping you grow your business.
In a nutshell, public relations is the art of connecting brands with consumers through engaging storytelling. Public Relations or PR professionals typically deploy a variety of tools, one of which is the press release, to pitch a story idea to media contacts that are then turned into publicity for their clients.

Public Relations

Few people you speak to can explain what a public relations professional does. The answer is simply; they build relationships with reporters and media outlets with the hopes of garnering ‘earned’ media coverage for their clients. So, if you think about it, our sole purpose is to help you engage with your customers while strengthening your brand through third-party endorsements.

Press Release

A press release is a short, compelling news story written by public relations professionals to announce news or company information. A press release provides all the essential information (who, what, when, where, why, and how) to help journalists quickly and easily prepare their own story. The best press releases are crafted to pique the interest of a journalist or publication while enticing the individual to reach out for more in-depth information that only you can provide.

Pitch

To effectively pitch a story idea requires a lot of research, creative thinking, and persuasive communication skills. I know you’re asking, isn’t the press release my pitch? The answer is no. The pitch is your only chance to persuade a journalist to give your story idea a second look or an opportunity to grow into a story, and journalists are known to receive hundreds of pitches a day.

Sometimes, a pitch can take place via email, phone call, or on social media, and each pitch should be personalized and geared towards the individual reporter you are trying to attract.

Promote

Having a consistent public relations campaign is important to build a positive customer perception while growing sales. A good place to begin in by developing a series of promotions as part of an overall PR plan that will establish your brand as an engaging, cost-efficient shopping outlet.

Publicity

Once a press release is written and pitched to the desired media contacts, it’s finally time for you and your company to be quoted in news outlets across the globe. Media coverage is a blessing for any size company – as your name gets mentioned, so will your sales.

For most companies, generating positive publicity or media coverage is 3X more valuable than paid advertising, so what are you waiting for?

Don’t delay another day. Contact me today to learn how you can take your company to the next level.