Sometimes people are so blinded by the light of public attention that they don't stop and think to assess if they are really ready for the glare, weight and responsibility of the limelight. Over the years, I have had many people approach me to support their public relations initiatives. As I have mentioned before in previous blogs, people are often tickled with excitement to engage in PR services, but they are often under educated about what PR is and what it is not.
So, if you understand what public relations strategists, publicists and tacticians do, then how do you know if you are really ready to engage with a practitioner to get your message out there?
If your answer is...I don't know, then you have come to the right place. There are several key elements that can make you a good candidate to be matched with a practitioner and ready to be in the public space, here are some of my top three.
Know your audience...I can't drill this point home enough for you, but if you know who your tribe is, where they go, what they like, how much money they have and spend, how much discretionary income they have available for your specific product or service then your road will be less bumpy. This part of your journey will take time and research. It helps when you have an idea of who you want to impact.
Set a budget...If I had a dime for every person who connected with me for PR services but had no clue what it cost for services and were woefully disappointed when my cost estimates did not match their expectations---then I would be Elon Musk rich. The sticker shock was often uncomfortable when they realized it wasn't an inexpensive service. PR practitioners spend long hours making calls, sending emails, writing pitches, coordinating and following up with media, setting up guidance sheets for interviews, creating effective messaging, building relationships, researching, writing press releases, managing social media messaging, developing strategic plans, finding and working with influencers, studying your industry, writing articles, bios, blogs, white papers, speeches, setting-up metrics, advising, etc...to get you to where you want to be. You must understand what it costs to make that happen and the time it takes to be successful. Know your numbers and be realistic about what you can afford or possibly do on your own or with the help of a PR consultant.
Know your why...this works in life and in any facet of business. If you know your why then you can direct your path more clearly. You will not be thrown all over the place. You will rarely be pulled too far from center. People often start businesses or projects with the goal of making money, but beyond that, you need to have an idea of the impact that you will make. Use that as your guiding force and your business will have a strong ideological foundation.
To help you understand if you are really ready for PR services. I have built a quick Google survey for you to complete. If you score between 20-24 you are ready to get PR support. If you scored below 19 then work to strengthen the areas that you did not score well in and revisit it with a capable practitioner. Here's the link to the survey: https://forms.gle/F8zWt6qNGaUabFe47
I would love to know how you scored. Leave a comment and if you need PR, media relations or media consulting services don't be afraid to reach out to me @MissPRandMarketing on social media. I'm on TikTok, IG and Facebook and you can learn more about my work at www.hentonjonesmedia.com.