5 Common Myths Businesses Have About PR

Myth: A fiction or half-truth, especially one that forms part of an ideology.

I recently spoke with a marketing executive at a technology company about doing some press releases for his firm. He voiced a concern that is common among many small and medium-sized businesses, which is that he doesn’t have any big news worthy of a press release.

It’s a recurring theme in PR. Businesses either don’t know how to toot their own horn, or don’t know what to say and when to say it, which leaves them paralyzed and unable to act when they should be shouting their news from the rooftops!

Check out my list of common myths that keep many businesses from enjoying the business-building benefits of good PR.

1. “I don’t have any earth-shattering news to announce.” A frequently encountered PR myth that keeps businesses from reaching their full potential. Many companies think they have to open a new office or acquire another business to get attention. Not true! Press releases are designed to educate customers, prospects and media about your latest happenings. Ideally, you want customers and prospects to respond to a call-to-action in your press release, usually an inquiry into a product or service you offer that ultimately leads to a sale. While media coverage is great and does wonders for brand development, it’s not always the sole purpose for issuing a press release. Stories you put into a press release can be as simple as a new product upgrade announcement, how you saved a customer a ton of money, or news about your sales growth and what makes you so darn good. Believe me: you have stories that will impact people at a gut level, get them to take action, and maybe even lead to more sales and press coverage!
2. “We’re not a big company.” This one is so common it could have made the top of the list. Most small companies think that you have to be a big company to issue press releases. That couldn’t be further from the truth. If you’re a company with customers and prospects, then press releases are perfect vehicles to educate them on your latest products and services. What’s more, customers often respond more favorably to your offerings in a press release because it’s perceived as “News” and people tend to be curious by nature. Promotional emails, direct mail, cold calls—these traditional marketing techniques have been overused and jaded customers are now much less likely to respond to them.
3. “Press releases don’t result in new sales opportunities.” Excuse me? I beg to differ. I’ve seen press releases carefully crafted to tease a response from customers that result in tens of thousands in project opportunities and new sales. Think of a press release as the best indirect sales tool you have to prompt action from an otherwise unresponsive customer base. Presenting your marketing message as “news” gets far more people to pay attention than if you were to send out a brochure or product data sheet. Press releases sent out in an email regularly get 50-80% open rates compared to, oh, maybe, 20-25% for a direct sales email. Which one would you rather use to inform your customers about your latest offerings and promos?
4. “PR is for building brand recognition.” True, it does do that. But PR does so much more. From building a brand and helping launch a new product or service, to putting your company at the top of Google searches and engaging your customers and prospects, PR has evolved into the most cost-effective way a company can broadcast its message and generate new business. PR has evolved elegantly to embrace social media outlets such as Twitter and LinkedIn because people are searching for good content; and news updates about companies make for good content.
5. “There’s no ROI for PR.” This usually comes from somebody who’s never used PR in a strategic way for a business before. It reminds me of my daughter, who happens to be an extremely picky eater. If she’s never tried and liked something before and we try to give her something new, she automatically thinks she won’t like it and pushes the plate away. It’s a knee-jerk reaction, just like some business owners’ or executives’ response to PR. They have formed opinions about the effectiveness of PR without ever really pursuing a PR strategy. I have collaborated on campaigns involving a press release, sales letter and website landing page that drew click-throughs, obtained new leads and resulted in new business. I’ve witnessed a $400 press release bring in $10-20 thousand in new projects. If that’s not an ROI, then what is?

Okay, I’ve said my piece.

Now it’s your turn. Do you agree, disagree, or have another myth you want to add to the list? Respond with your ideas, your opinions, your personal stories. Let's put some long-held myths into the History Books!