“One advantage of public relations – it’s cheaper than paid marketing to get you in front of new audiences to establish authority and consumer interest for your brand.” ~Raj Girn, Founder, The Open Chest^® Confidence Academy

Hi Friend,

Although many business owners and executives recognize the importance of incorporating a marketing plan to grow, many don’t understand why and how to utilize the public relations arm, outside of getting their name in reputable media to hang on their fame wall.

Knowing this to be true through clients that I’ve worked with over the years, I thought I’d dedicate this week’s missive on shedding some light on the “why and how” of it all, so that those of you who are not doing it right or at all, can see how expansive the opportunity is that you’re leaving on the table or not bringing to the table at all.

Here are the most frequently asked questions (with my responses), that I have gotten over the years from clients and members/followers of my communities (culture brand ‘Anokhi Life’, personal brand ‘Raj Girn’, and coaching/consulting brand ‘The Open Chest Confidence Academy’) . . .

What actually is public relations strategy and how can it help my business?

The PRSA definition states that “public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”

Duly, there are 4 basic routes that you can take to this end:

• Owned Media: Media that you have created and resides on a platform that you own [your website, blog etc.].

• Earned Media: Media that is created about your brand at no cost to you by a 3rd party media company, which they then distribute on their platform(s) [Forbes, Vogue, New York Times etc.]. 

• Shared Media: Media that you have created and placed on a 3rd party site where you do not have to pay to post [Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok etc.].

• Paid Media: Media that you have paid to have created and posted [branded content, sponsorships, ads, commercials etc.]. 

Why do I need public relations if I’m running ads and doing organic marketing?

• Public relations is cheaper than running traditional advertising in terms of cost per eyeballs if you’re able to get coverage from a major media outlet. 

• Ads run for a specific time, whereas media coverage (depending on the outlet) can remain on a platform indefinitely.

• Public relations can support organic marketing efforts by creating credibility for you as a subject matter expert, that paid advertising cannot.  

• Public relations can position your brand and elevate the authority it commands by association with the right media outlets (if you’re a business, getting featured in Forbes or if you’re a fashion designer, getting featured in Vogue).  

• Media can help increase your brand equity, where you can ask for more money for your products and services, and brand loyalty, where people trust that you’re legit. 

When is it the right time to start a public relations campaign?

When you’re clear on what the value proposition is for an audience – that’s it.

If you haven’t gotten a public relations strategy that has one, multiple, or all of these dialled in, then you’re not optimizing the ability of your brand to be seen, heard, and valued.   

I can help you put together a strategy that works for you at whatever stage/budget you’re at, as this is something that I have been doing successfully since 2002 regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Contact me here to book a free, no-obligation discovery call: [email protected] and let’s see if we’re the right fit for each other!

This week’s takeaway: 

“If you’re not being seen, you’re not been heard. If you’re not being heard, you’re not being recognized. If you’re not being recognized, you’re NOT being considereda subject matter expert or authority in your industry.” ~ Raj Girn 

See you next week!