PR 101

Check out this quick do it yourself guide.

Although you can engage a PR agency, you can also go ahead and learn to do PR works yourself.

Conducting public relations, of course, is by no means an easy undertaking. Publicity, building a good reputation, and positioning are complex and long-term activities. Still, here are 10 quick ways to make PR work for you:

10 ways you can make PR work Click To Tweet

It is ironic. While some entrepreneurs hesitate to talk about their work, people who are enthusiastic about what they do for a living are interesting to talk to.

Thus, be always prepared to talk about what you do and show people you love your brand. How can you expect others to talk about your business if you don’t?

Ask your customers: Will you recommend my brand to friends? Click To Tweet

We don’t have to ask many questions, just this one: will you recommend my brand to your friends?

You should want to know how many of your customers would consciously recommend your brand to their friends as fans. You would also want to know how you could increase those numbers.

If people have heard of you, you must be good. If they heard a lot, you must be great. Click To Tweet

When positive publicity makes you or your brand reaches people, it is normal for them to assume that you are good. What if there are more publicity and people are talking about you or your brand?

Don’t spam. Study the editors and publications first. Show respect. Click To Tweet

Tailor pitches and press releases to the editors, publications, bloggers, and influencers you are sending them to. Each editor, publication, and blogger have different interests and focus. Taking the effort to send individualized messages demonstrates not only PR savvy but also respect.

Create buzz and make it easy to find you. Click To Tweet

An alternative to pitching stories is creating buzz – this means doing something interesting enough for people to notice and talk about you. After doing this, you must make it easy for the media to find you.

Make readers enjoy your story and be able think better of the publication because of it. Click To Tweet

Writing a compelling story that readers of a publication would enjoy attract the attention of editors. These editors are on the lookout for stories that make the publication sell. Help them achieve this.

Consider short attention spans. People should be able to convey your story in conversations. Click To Tweet

Your story should be crafted in a manner that people would be able to absorb and share it in short, casual conversations with friends and family. This means keep your writing simple and use powerful quotes that people would love to share.

Hold a press conference to announce real news. Reporters prefer to ask. Click To Tweet

Press conferences are simple events with journalists and influencers as the audience. Conduct one when you have something newsworthy to announce.

PR that uplifts lives is best. Click To Tweet

Our experience showed that activities that aim to uplift lives not only generate publicity, the published message further resonates and get shared within the target audience.

When sh*t happens, do not stay mum. PR works when you engage media and set the record straight. Click To Tweet

Staying silent could work in preventing coverage of an adverse issue from taking a life of its own, but issues are often pushed and fed by various interest groups. The best response would be to present your side of the story. Take care to also maintain good relations with journalists and influencers.