When you run a business, you know you need to focus on running your business. A lack of focus means that you’re doing everything and achieving nothing, and it’s exactly the same with PR.
Whether you’re working with an agency, or doing it yourself, without a focused plan you run the risk of being a busy fool.
The challenge comes when you’re dealing with multiple products or multiple markets, for example, if your products are suitable for a number of different purposes, or your service suits a number of different industries.
Start by narrowing it down. Which is your biggest selling product or which industry is the most lucrative for you? You might have plans to break into new markets, but it’s worth focusing on areas in which you’re most successful and capitalising on these so that you can be sure that you’re maintaining profile with your existing markets, while considering which other areas to break into.
Once you’ve narrowed down which product or service to focus on, you need to consider which media to approach.
If you have a service which will benefit different industries, it’s easy to be overwhelmed with the amount of trade and business media out there, not to mention digital media and broadcast, so come back to where your biggest or most lucrative market is. If it’s recruitment, research the recruitment press and don’t be distracted by other media. Build an exhaustive list of relevant media and focus your time on contacting and pitching to them one by one.
To make sure you’re not wasting your time, make sure the media you’re targeting are going to actually be interested in what you’re selling. For example, if you’re promoting a product, do they have product pages? If you’re keen to be seen as a thought leader, do they feature columns or opinion pieces?
When you’ve ascertained where the best opportunities are, approach them with your ideas, take their feedback and amend your approach according to their requirements. Don’t forget it’s not the media’s job to promote you or your product; it’s their job to provide their audience with stories and features which will interest them, so see what they tend to run and focus your pitch accordingly.
Whatever you do, don’t get distracted and start going down other routes, you’ll lose your focus and start to get confused about what it is you’re trying to achieve.
Once you’ve made a start, you’ll soon get into your stride, which is another reason to focus, you understand what you’re offering the media and get used to telling your story in a way which will appeal to the media.
As they say, ‘keep it simple stupid’. Whether you’re doing it yourself or working with an agency, don’t throw too many things in the pot at once. A lack of focus leads to a lack of results.