Bringing the professional to the personal

This blog has always focused on my personal life moreso than my professional, but right now these two areas have blurred. Currently, I am in a transition period. The company I was working for in LA experienced nation-wide lay off's as a means of "reduction in force" and my position (and many others in marketing and research across the country) was eliminated.

Less than two weeks later, the full sweep of COVID-19 government mandates clamped down around us worldwide. Today we are living as 'shelter in place' and the impact of this measure has inevitably slowed the economy and hampered employment prospects. In the hopes of speeding up a return to my industry, I wrote the following article, and thanks to my trusty boyfriend Zach, an English wunderkind, for his edits.

I first published the article to my Linkedin profile, that can be found here. Feel free to give it a 'like' as I believe this will help it to show up in more people's feeds. Thanks for the read.

How PR contributes to company sales

Author’s note:

It goes without saying that the mandated precautions against the COVID-19 pandemic, while necessary, have thrown our worlds into disarray. This is an unfamiliar and stressful situation for all of us, so the most important thing right now is to follow the guidance of medical experts and practice social distancing and good hygiene. If we work together and look out for one another, we can protect the well-being of our communities and prevent further spread of the virus.

This article is written in the spirit of sharing information that will be useful once we have made it through this crisis.

Knowing this one thing can ensure your career longevity in public relations

The most important item on a business leader’s agenda is to make decisions that maximize profit. That’s an unsentimental truth, but it’s one you’ve got to understand to flourish in the world of public relations. PR professionals must speak a language that appeals to business decision makers and helps them understand how our jobs contribute to their bottom line.

Sadly, a lot of business people don’t value PR. Businesses sometimes overlook and misunderstand the role it plays in their success. For example, an IT person passing my desk the other day saw a sign I had posted on my computer: “I love PR.” He said, “You love what? Puerto Rico?” Misunderstandings like this are common and is probably because the value that PR produces can be abstract or intangible – it’s not always easy to measure in terms of dollars and cents. But underestimating the importance of PR isn’t just bad for those of us who make our living out of public relations – a failure to appreciate PR can hamstring an entire organization and cause a business to miss ripe opportunities for profit.

Therefore, it is part of our job to do “PR for PR.” By helping paint the picture of how our profession drives value we can shift the mindset of our business leaders to become more “PR Friendly.” Below are a few examples of how good PR translates into profit.

PR helps build brand awareness - and this leads to sales

I like to apply the logic of how I decide to buy products or services to the development of my own PR programs.

I recall a tidbit of wisdom from an ad man I once worked with. He told me you need to show something seven times before it sticks. This makes a lot of sense. Our minds can be resistant to new concepts or products, so repetition is key to making sure an unfamiliar product or brand really penetrates a customer’s consciousness.

Here’s a practical example. Imagine you’re driving the 101 and you see a billboard promoting a company. Later that day you’re chatting with a work colleague who happens to mention the company’s name. The next morning, you’re waiting in line at Philz and you notice a friend has posted about the company on Facebook. While drinking the coffee you read an article which cites the company’s founder as a source. The point is, if you encounter the company over and over throughout a period of time, it will eventually enter your mental landscape, both consciously and subconsciously. As PR people, part of our job is to maximize the opportunities for such encounters to happen. We can do that through social media, traditional media or, as I explain below, connecting with third parties and influencers. 

The proof is in the pudding - how do you make your own purchase decisions? PR without a doubt has played a part

I love to travel. Admittedly that has been stalled during the necessary precautions we are all taking during the COVID-19 pandemic. When I was traveling, I spent a lot of time wandering on my own, discovering new places and making international friends. It shouldn’t surprise you that this got expensive, mostly because of hotel costs. I wasn’t about to give up my wanderlust at the time, but I needed to change something if I wanted keep my finances intact. So, I turned to my Facebook network and asked, where do single people stay when they travel to XYZ?

Through this social media outreach I learned about Airbnb. Years ago – before the company had spread mainstream and back when the logo was still in blue letters -- my Facebook friend said I should consider the service as an affordable option. This is what is otherwise known as word of mouth (going viral) or “third party endorsement”. As PR people, we will regularly engage relevant third parties to support our brands. The same concept sparked the ‘influencer’ craze on Instagram in the millennial era. My friend who told me about Airbnb probably didn’t think of herself as an influencer, but in a way all of us are influencers when we speak to people we trust within our networks. It’s our job as PR people to connect with those influencers.

After my friend, whom I trust (trustworthiness is again, integral to business success), recommended Airbnb, I went to its website and was impressed by the friendly vibe, easy user interface, and abundance of stay options. I could also read reviews about each place, see the photos, and learn about the host in their own words and from others in the reviews. Plus, back in 2012, it was much cheaper to stay in an Airbnb than a hotel. I became a convert and used the service the world over for the next five years. I even made a few more good friends along the way. 

Airbnb was able to gain my loyalty as a customer. But it’s important to remember client loyalty can’t be assumed. If the product or service slips, so does brand loyalty. You mustn’t let decision makers think of PR as a short-term project that ends when you achieve first contact with the customer. PR is instead an ongoing process – it needs to be practiced continually and cultivated to keep customers engaged and loyal. 

As Airbnb grew in popularity over the years, the prices increased, in some cases exceeding hotel pricing. Some hosts got greedy, charging up to $100 for cleaning expenses and more than $80 per night to lodge in modest rooms in equally modest apartments or houses.

A service that began as a community was becoming less friendly and more transactional. People started renting out apartments for the sole purpose of Airbnb and not making these places first their homes. In my opinion, this has undermined the warm and integrated culture Airbnb had grown. A good PR response would be necessary to restore this culture, and win back my loyalty.

Eventually I gave up and went back to hotels – but I will still review Airbnb options if I’m planning a longer trip.

There’s a lesson for PR professionals in my experience with Airbnb. Business leaders, when they make decisions, must consider the importance of brand perception, company reputation, issues management, and social responsibility. A good PR person can help them do that better than anyone else.   

Know which media will resonate best with your leaders and company

An article in Forbes or Fortune is impressive on any level but probably means the most to the C-Suite of a Fortune 500 company, whereas an article in TechCrunch is considered the PR Holy Grail in the startup world. Why are mentions in these publications so coveted by savvy industry insiders?

In a word: perception. Insiders know that securing media coverage in a respected outlet is extremely hard due to the competitive nature of media relations. Therefore, if your PR person is lucky and talented enough to claim that prize, others in the industry will look on your company in awe and let’s not lie, envy.

Almost every major industry has its “paper of record,” although sometimes it’s a blog, a magazine, or, these days, a twitter account. Whatever the format, these publications have audiences made up of the very people that companies in the industry want to reach. A skilled PR person should know what the key outlets are, and know who reads them.

I think back to the days when I worked to promote actors and did PR for arts festivals. You score a feature article in the city’s major newspaper, promoting a play, or secure a good review of that play – the outcome is immediate: ticket sales. I myself have bought countless tickets to plays, gigs, and events after reading about them for the first time in the media. Good PR translated directly into revenue there.

That’s how it works in the corporate world too. A good article in a targeted media outlet or publication can drive sales and adds substantial value to the company in the eyes of existing and future customers.

Your company website is often the first point of call for a customer – PR contributes to this through content marketing, news sections, customer testimonials, and more

Think of your company website – is it in line with your brand, your company culture? Does it show (remember: show don’t tell) what your product or service can do? Are there pictures, infographics and videos? Is it user-friendly and easy to navigate? Finally, and maybe most importantly, does it have the functions in place in order to drive sales? I quite like the instant chat function that is found on several websites. It’s immediately interactive and draws the visitor in, increasing their likelihood to buy.

Work with developing a voice for your Founder/CEO/company spokesperson

Brands often have a “face” or a “voice” – a person whose image, words, and personality represent the brand and its values to the public. It’s the job of PR to make sure the face is one people are happy to see and the voice is one people listen to. If your founder or CEO has social media channels, it’s important that he or she use them frequently and effectively. That way, the public starts to become familiar with that person and their voice, to feel as if they trust the face and appreciate what they stand for. PR people train and guide business leaders in developing this voice and ensuring it is consistent with the company’s brand and values. A PR person will also keep that person on track and work with them on strategies to ensure they stick to their messages.

As consumers, we appreciate the chance to see and hear things about the company, product, or service we buy from. Therefore, wherever possible, it is advisable to ensure your founder is seen and heard.

This can be done through podcasts, video, and elsewhere in the media. The more we see and hear these people, and like what we see and hear, the more likely we will buy into them which, of course, will convert to sales.

Have a crisis plan – how quickly and aptly you respond in crisis mode can make or break your company’s reputation – and a trustworthy reputation drives sales

It would be remiss of me not to draw attention to the glaring need for companies to have a crisis management plan. PR people should always be part of this crisis team and play a pivotal role in the rollout of subsequent communication. Now more than ever, we are seeing multiple examples of how companies have responded to a crisis situation. Many are handling it exceptionally well, notifying their customers and relevant stakeholders of where they stand amidst the crisis and what they intend to do about it, others have been a little slower to get on board. But overall, we’re doing it right. Despite the obvious economic damage COVID-19 brings to businesses, the companies who have done crisis communications well will return with more goodwill than ever and their reputations intact.

In closing, I want to return to the message I opened with. And that is bottom line. In this cut throat world and economy, brand can be built on ‘image’ and hype, but it needs a solid foundation to sustain it and prosper. Customers aren’t stupid – your job as a PR person is not to manipulate them, but to communicate with them in the most effective and straightforward way possible.

Show your C-Suite and business leaders that your PR efforts and achievements are helping to drive sales and boost the bottom line. Some of the examples I’ve provided above should help. By highlighting the value of PR – and demonstrating that value with results -- you’ll ensure you continue to have a seat at the leadership table and have a satisfying career, knowing that your CEO or founder appreciates your value and the role you play in ensuring profitability.

Caroline James is a PR expert with more than 20 years of experience in the industry. Throughout her career she has worked for tech startups, PR agencies, international governments, and corporate firms. She is the founder of Forever Speaks PR, and is always open to new PR opportunities and challenges. For more information, or just to chat about our industry, contact her on LinkedIn here.