You may have done your homework and developed a strong outreach program, but somehow it is not driving results. Here are two key reasons why that may be:
Reason #1: Your Goals Are Muddled
Often we are too results-oriented. This is not solely the fault of the PR professional, though. The client seems to always be asking for quantifiable results. The conversation tends to go like this:
PR: “We will help you develop a strong PR plan.”
Client: “Yes, but I need clear measurable goals.”
PR: “Yes, but let us first understand who we are trying to reach…”
Client: “Agreed, but I still need to see clear measurable goals.”
PR: “But we need to study your target audience…”
Client: “All agreed, but I still need measurable goals.”
Having measurable goals is good, but first one needs to understand how to reach the customers, and whether the messages are actually getting through. Often, in our rush to set and meet client goals, we lose sight of this important step.
Instead, you need to be able to get a PR pitch that articulates the campaign goal in one sentence to the intended audience. Once developed, you can then look for ways to get this message across using a variety of PR tactics.
This sometimes requires a bit of client education. It may be painful in the short-term, but your client will thank you later. [bctt tweet=”Why Your #PR Pitch Sucks Reason #1: Your Goals Are Muddled”]
Reason #2: Your Messaging is Not Research-Based
In today’s data driven era of marketing, research counts. In the past, it was focus groups; today it may be a simple poll survey and doing desktop research. Either way, these efforts give you important data points, which can then offer the foundation for your PR strategy. This is vital as your PR messaging may not be aligned with target audience expectations.
Another approach is to write your intended message down and use research to poke holes in it. This allows you to fine tune your message.
It may take a bit of time and money, but every effort employed and dime spent in understanding your target audience’s motivations helps to deliver the right PR pitch.
Overall, the PR pitch is vital for a campaign’s success. Instead of looking for measurable results from the beginning, you need to start by finding the right strategy and message. [bctt tweet=”Why Your #PR Pitch Sucks Reason #2: Your Messaging is Not Research-Based”]
It’s a noisy world out there, and every ounce of energy used in getting the right message, tone and pitch will help to get you to the right set of ears. Shortcutting any step of the process, or skipping them altogether, only serves to make you part of the background noise.
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