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Who
Stepped In It
Poor Media Relations Will Reveal Itself During Hard Times: How many times have you seen a great story about a new service or product, then not a peep? Countless is my answer.
How does this happen? Here are a couple of thoughts:
- Business owner turns a solid idea into a product or service and starts a business.
- Business owner contacts the media and generates a nice story.
- Business owner is too busy doing everything else and forgets to communicate outside
the organization.
- Business owner never thinks about seeking public relations support.
The next part of this sad story has to do with the businesses' second media story:
- Business owner closes door for good next week.
The firestorm eating up businesses day-by-day in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Norfolk is feeding on businesses with weak foundations. A good media relations program is part of a strong business foundation.
Here are some critical errors business leaders commit by ignoring media relations:
- Business owners think the world will beat a path to their doors to benefit from their product or service. If only it were true. One story is a start, but information overload has everyone quickly moving on to the next cool thing. Staying in people's minds requires and ongoing media relations program.
- Business owners think the media will call and include them in like-kind stories. Think again. Newsrooms have been diminished by recent layoffs making reporters some of the busiest professionals in the world. Getting their attention and becoming a trusted resource requires an ongoing process. Reporters don't call you out of the blue, unless you've done something very wrong … and you need smart media relations for that too.
- Business owners forget that a methodical drum beat of public credibility goes a long way to establishing long-term credibility.
- Businesses put great effort into their product/service and management/employees. But that leaves the foundation of your stool with only two legs. Bill Gates said, "If I were down to my last dollar, I'd spend it on public relations." He's talking about the third leg of the stool - the public relations leg that rounds out a strong business foundation. Without that leg, you are invisible. Public relations, media relations and marketing make you visible.
How can you tell a business that doesn't have a media relations program? They're the ones who never speak to reporters and have earned no credibility with their media. When things get tough they'll start joining every networking organization under the sun. Then they'll make a last ditch effort to hire a public relations agency to generate some positive media coverage.
That’s not how you win the game. A competent media relations professional will maintain contact with reporters who can help you. They will help the reporter on a slow news day or when your industry is making headline news. Good media relations is a process not an event.
Is someone looking out for your best interest in the media or are you just hoping for the best and satisfied to be in the "One and Done Media Coverage Club"?
About Rourk Public Relations
The Rourk Public Relations agency is expert at media relations, branding, marketing, government relations, political consulting, SEO, web marketing, and web design. It contributes effective PR and Marketing work to a wide range of clients in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton, Newport News, Hampton Roads, and throughout Virginia.
For a no-cost phone consultation, feel free to call David Rourk at (757) 478-0150. |
