The world of Digital PR would be an easy ride if it was as simple as "You get a client, call the media, tell their story, get coverage and go home." For those of us who do this for a living, we know that's clearly not the case.
Digital PR in 2015 is a multifaceted and rather complex industry, one that involves training, research and consistent practice. It is part Web knowledge, part blogging, part writing well and a whole huge bunch of story-telling.
Sadly there are many myths about what PR professionals do and what they don't do. Many of these myths are perpetuated by clear misunderstanding of the industry. Admittedly, some of the myths are brought on by a bunch of people working in agencies that are not doing the rest of us any favours.
Here are my top six myths about Digital PR:
Parties, drinks and wining & dining
Do you know this is 2015 and not 1982? Journalists are now ethical creatures and flashing the agency's credit card does not help putting your brand in a good light. Most journos (e.g. reporters, writers, editors, producers) are friendly but not "meet-me-at-the-pub-at-five-mate" friendly. They are too busy to be watching you eating risotto and sipping wine, while you are spilling out your tedious pitch for 45 minutes. Would you like to make a new friend? Just offer a great pitch idea that takes five minutes or less.
Press Releases work every time
Really? Do you mean like this form?
Uhhm, let me think. 1982 called again and wants its strategy back. Yes, the release will always be the tried-and-tested solid piece of any PR professional, but in 2015, surely you can put your time to better uses. Would you like to know a secret anyway? Editors only read the headline and the first sentence. Yes, just that. What they need from us is a story, some content, the news, and not an A4 standard press release. We all know clients love them; however, if you want the media to love them too, do them correctly -- short, sweet, and tell a story. Talking of sweet, well... pancakes in this case, here is an example of how social media has helped the Digital PR industry finding, creating and promoting stories, without the use of an old-fashioned press release.
PR does not drives sales
Sure, that's what some clients think, however any good PR consultant will support the sales team, and in 2015 PR is definitely seen as part an additional marketing tool to make or increase money. These tools are called 'headlines', coverage and column inches spaces. A sales manager is always looking for credibility to sell a product, and what a better way to do that than sharing what some national trade publication or a blog had to say about it. Social media has placed more emphasis on this in recent years, and this is music to PR people' ears', who can finally claim a share of the big 'profit/sales' cake. After all, it's all about baking a better cake:
Anyone can do it
This is one of the largest villain out there because if that was true, everyone would appear, daily, in the news. Simple eh? Well, PR doesn't require its own consultant force - that's our job, so own it. This is a time-intensive business that involves great research, great writing and even better story-telling techniques, particularly now, yes, in 2015. The majority of society can't do this, but it's lovely to see a few who can. Hopefully, your brand has the support of one or two of those individuals?
Publicity is down to luck
Publicity is down to speed and proactive reaction to what's going on in the industry, in your Clients' business, in the world, in the region where you are. It's up to PR people to make the 'engine' works and give it a reason to move. News happens whether you are there to read it or not. Our job is to serve our clients in ways they couldn't help their business without us. That's why the cardinal rule in PR is to discover conversations, even when nobody is talking. Sure, timing has a little to do with it, but mainly it's finding the time to tell the right story, to the right audience, in an engaging way.
We don't understand how the media works.
This is usually something journos say behind our back, and strangely, considering the title of our post, this one is somewhat true, for certain PR executives. There are many PR people who do not understand the inner workings of a newsroom; what a green room is; or what a journalist' desk looks like. This is just because they have never seen one, and therefore, yes, of course they don't understand the media. Sadly that reflects in their pitches too.
The most experienced PR professionals who do understand the media are typically too busy networking, researching and searching for news-worthy angles or working at their desks. These are the people who have been to a journo's office (years ago perhaps) and have been to a newsroom. These days, travelling to see a reporter to London, sending gifts (e.g.: bribes), or book posh lunches are no longer part of the job. So my guess is that nowadays young PR executives who enter the profession need to learn how the media works only from a trial and error basis, unless they have a good mentor and a good inner sense of business curiosity. Curiosity is what's most needed to open and enter such a kaleidoscope that is the world of Digital PR.