“I tried to lose weight, but it didn’t work.” “We tried PR, but it didn’t work.” The explanations and excuses for failures are the same for both. And the fundamental solutions are the same for both as well.

Commitment

You bought a membership to the gym and then stopped going on a regular basis. Likewise, your company hired a PR firm and then didn’t follow through with PR activities.

Public relations is a process, not a project. You can’t occasionally go to the gym and expect to see meaningful results, and you can’t turn your PR program on and off like a light switch. Approaching PR as a one-time promotion or project is about as useful as hitting the treadmill once a month. You might see temporary change, but there are no shortcuts to long-term success.

Do you want real lasting results? Then get off the sofa and hit the gym every day for a year.  While you’re at it, build a thorough PR plan and work it – FOR A YEAR – NO EXCUSES.

There’s a reason why you continue to read and hear about the same handful of companies over and over. They’ve achieved top-of-mind awareness – they’ve put in the time and effort required to attract and sustain the media’s attention. Commit at least a year to public relations and the results will turn you into a believer.

Wrong Diet

Your fad diet didn’t work, and neither did your company’s last PR campaign.

It’s so easy to be swayed into thinking that a gimmicky diet or magic pill will shed those extra pounds. After all, it’s what everyone is talking about.  Likewise, you thought that moving most or all of your PR efforts to social media would be the right move. After all, it’s what everyone else is doing now.

Creating a company Facebook page that your prospects or customers will never visit more than once; tweeting useless tweets or writing self-serving blogs isn’t dumb, it’s dangerous.  In moderation, social media is an important ingredient of a healthy PR diet. However, companies are going off the deep end with social media. Too many companies are forgetting that they’ve got to feed their social media machines with interesting and compelling content. Don’t misuse social media tools by filling these channels up with useless junk. Your prospects most likely don’t care that you recently had a company cookout.  And every time prospects get pinged by irrelevant noise, they become less inclined to hear the important stuff, such as a new product or service enhancement.

Every bit of news, content and information your company shares with the world must have remarkable meaning. If it isn’t remarkable, no matter what channel, think twice about sending it.  And think twice before you start that “protein only” diet.

Wrong Coach

You like your personal trainer and your PR firm, but something is missing.

Perhaps the coach who helped you reach initial success does not have the right plan to take you to the next level.  Even the best athletes in the world need and seek out different coaching perspectives.

Likewise, perhaps you’ve outgrown your current public relations counsel. Maybe you’ve changed your business strategy and there’s an ongoing and unfixable disconnect. Did your PR firm change your day-to-day contact? Regardless of the reason, it’s important to set aside personal feelings and friendships and find PR counsel that will help you grow.

Great coaches and counselors understand their limitations and will set aside their egos for the betterment of their clients. In fact, the best coaches and PR counselors will tell you when it’s time to move on and whom you should see to help you achieve success.

Wrong Workout Routine

You lost 10 pounds but can’t seem to lose the next 20. And your company got good press coverage when it started PR activities, but now it isn’t getting as much coverage as it used to. 

In every aspect of life and in business, the strategy that got you from point A to point B won’t be the strategy that gets you to point C and beyond. To reach your next physical goal requires an extra set of pushups, or five more minutes on the track, or you may need to mix swimming with running.

Your next desired PR level may require focusing more on expert articles or detailed case studies instead of press releases. You may need face-to-face meetings and interviews with key editors and/or analysts. It will almost certainly require more of your time, but the payoff is well worth the time investment.

We all hit plateaus, but champions never accept them. Keep moving. Do something different, and if that doesn’t work, do something else.

The right financial PR routine is dynamic. One size does not fit all. Each message must be the appropriate content for each specific audience, and the content must be delivered through each of your audiences’ preferred channels. The fundamentals of public relations remain the same: Make a plan and work it; give the media unique, thoughtful news and information; and be tenacious and diligent in your efforts.  But the days of simply blasting press releases over the wire and expecting meaningful results are long gone.

Now, drop and give me 20! Then call William Mills Agency to get started on the right public relations program.

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