Always Fresh PR

It’s time for an advanced lesson in public relations. What happens when you can’t get traction for a story, no matter how hard you pitch it? Or worse, when journalists tell you, “that’s not a story.” When this happens, it is time to redefine the narrative. In journalism and PR, the story narrative is crucial to success. Without a strong narrative, there will never be a media placement, regardless of how many contacts you have in the media. During my years as a news producer with NBC and CBS, there were many times I pursued a story only to discover that the story I thought I was pursuing - changed. When this happened, we had two options – kill the story or salvage it.

I came across a letter that Mick Jagger wrote to Andy Warhol after he hired him to create his next album cover. Most people know Andy Warhol was eccentric and creative – and not exactly easy to work with. But he was an artist and created masterpieces. He was also a superstar publicist at the root, elevating the value of his artwork. (I wrote an article about this for Forbes, which you can read here). Over the years, I’ve worked with many CEOs, CMOs, entrepreneurs and junior marketing managers. I’ve found the companies that got the most out of MACIAS PR let our creative energies run. And the clients who thought they knew more about the media than us and micromanaged our strategy typically didn’t see the same results as the clients who trusted our judgment. There are great lessons on how to manage a creative team in this letter. You will put the pieces together if you read the letter.

There’s a popular question we frequently hear from business owners: How can PR grow my business, and how do I measure it? I’ve written extensively on here and other outlets, like Forbes and Entrepreneur, on how to measure the ROI of PR. You can read those articles here. A successful PR campaign must be targeted to the right audience for the best results. A PR campaign that is focused around business development should always target publications that your customers read. This is one of the strategies that MACIAS PR takes with every campaign. We are driven by results that delivery metrics that your business needs. One of the first questions we ask potential clients is – what is the purpose of this PR campaign? The answer will help us develop an effective strategy that gets your product or service in front of customers. So how can PR help you close sales?

Want to get the most out of your PR firm or publicist? Try showing a little empathy with your team and see how it leads to better results. Most experienced entrepreneurs and sales leaders understand the value of empathy, but unfortunately – when it comes to outside vendors – it’s frequently forgotten. I’ve observed and experienced this inside and outside of the PR business. As a former Executive Producer with NBC, I always showed empathy with my producers and reporters because I genuinely felt their pain. I recognized when employees needed a break to recharge their mind and body, or when a family issue needed time outside of work. It might not have been financially aligned with the corporate spreadsheet but it always inspired more productivity and loyalty. Plus, it was the right thing to do. In this era of tight employment and waning worker loyalty, empathy needs to be on a higher level. You can’t fake it because workers will see through it in time. Unfortunately, when it comes to hiring an outside PR firm or publicist, we don’t get to experience empathy until after the contract is signed. Over the last decade of running this agency, I’ve seen how clients who value our work with a spreadsheet are typically the most difficult. They ignite more stress. In the worst situations, they believe they know more about the media than me and undermine every decision. Here’s a closer look at some of the warning signs that suggest you might need to do an empathy check. And if you have empathy, trust me, the best pr firms will always want to work with you and usually at a lower price.

Building a brand from scratch is never easy, but there are tactics and approaches you can take that will help scale your brand faster. On the surface, most entrepreneurs naturally gravitate to large media outlets. They rightfully assume that getting coverage in a national publication will get their mission, services and products out there faster. And while that is true, I’ve found there is often another overlooked group that many entrepreneurs purposely avoid. I recently wrote an article for Entrepreneur, elaborating on why smaller media shouldn’t be overlooked. You can read that article by clicking here, but if you’re short on time, here’s an abridged version of the key points from my thought leadership.

Why does the cat always catch the mouse? When you think of how agile and quick a mouse can be, he should be able outmaneuver the cat. Yet, nearly 100 percent of the time, the cat will catch the mouse. That’s not just a fun question. It’s actually a way of thinking that applies to PR and business. First off, I’m not an expert on mice or cats. I have never owned a cat and I hate mice. But as a person who lives in Brooklyn, and every New Yorker will tell you – “if you have mice, get a cat and the problem will go away.”

I found an old email today that details an article I wrote for a PR agency when I was at CBS. They asked me to write an article on the biggest mistakes I see publicists make. This podcast outlines the most common mistakes I saw publicists make while I was in the media. There is no official “right” or “wrong” way to draft a press release but there are definitely “dos” and “don’ts” that will either increase or decrease your chances of getting a reporter’s attention. Here are a few of the biggest mistakes I see publicists make with their press releases time and time again.

I got an email on Linkedin last week from a professional connection, promoting a service. It was about publicity so naturally it got my attention. He opened his email with a provocative statement that appealed to every entrepreneur’s core. “Publicity is the most under used method to get attention, yet the media is starving for stories.” Could it be possible that the media is starving for stories and getting publicity is the most under used method to get attention? Sorry to burst your bubble but this soon-to-be-deleted Linkedin contact is shoveling perfume-scented manure to his professional contacts.

Public relations is like coffee, but it should never be confused for cocaine when it comes to PR. Coffee – much PR – is needed to give your day a boost. Without coffee, you are not as quick on your feet and it’s harder to get through your day. Every growing business needs public relations just like you need your coffee. A healthy dose of public relations, like your morning cup of Joe, gives your business a jolt and if it’s an effective publicity campaign, it makes your workload easier. Public relations is not medicine. It’s more like a vitamin. We take vitamins in the morning to stay healthy, strong and vital. We turn to medicine when we need a remedy or when our health is failing. All public relations campaigns will be more successful if they are launched while a company has a healthy headwind.

Just when you thought your SEO strategy was in place, Google changes the rules again. The new algorithm, nicknamed “Hummingbird,” impacted 90 percent of the search engine traffic in 2014. Of course, we all know Google doesn’t reveal details on its algorithm but one thing Hummingbird does reinforce is the importance of content. So why the algorithm change? Google has trained consumers to ask questions when searching for results, so it was only natural this latest search evolution would place a higher emphasis on how your search looks for answers. Unlike the earlier years of search, when keywords were used to find topics with search engines, Google now places a higher emphasis on content that delivers valuable information.

Credibility matters in life, but it especially matters for journalists. Whenever you pitch a story to the media, the journalist is subconsciously measuring your integrity and experience. If the producer is going to invest time and energy on your story, he wants to make sure the idea has credence from the start so he’s not chasing false leads. A lawyer pitching a story on corporate fraud or a teacher pitching a story on education reform will always have more credibility at the onset than a retired citizen who works part-time at the public library. The journalist will rightfully assume the lawyer and teacher have insider knowledge or expertise, which will lend credibility to the topic.

Your publicist and PR team can be your best or worst advocate - and much of that success depends on how you manage the relationship with them. Believe it or not, publicists are people too and they actually feel and act on those emotions. If they feel indebted to you, or believe you’re trying to help them succeed, the best publicists will move mountains for you. And if they feel like you are secretly sabotaging their work or not supporting them, who knows what they might say when you're not around. I’ve worked with a nonprofit organization for the last 5 years. When the CMO first approached me in 2016 and told me her budget was $600/month, I knew this wouldn’t be a profitable media campaign. It takes time to find the right journalists, pitch them and coordinate interviews. Even more costly, I have to develop a strategic editorial campaign that leads to coverage. But I accepted this PR work because I liked the CMO. I believed she was a kind person with good intentions, and I wanted to help her cause. I’m glad I did because over the years, this nonprofit grew into a national organization with a larger, more market reflective budget.

Contrary to what some publicists might tell you, not everyone is a good PR candidate. There are some industries that shouldn’t waste their money on PR. They will likely achieve more exposure by allocating their budgets to advertising or content marketing. At the same time, there are industries and businesses that are made for the media. Their expertise is needed in this complicated world and their insider knowledge gives us a deeper view of topics that impact our lives. If positioned correctly, these types of clients can consistently find themselves on the news. These are the best PR candidates. I frequently hear friends and potential clients say getting a story on the news is a crapshoot. I don’t believe that. There is a strategy and approach that can improve your chances for exposure, but only if you have the elements needed for a news story. And what are those elements? They are rooted in the social sciences of journalism.

I belong to a private Facebook group where journalists and publicists mingle over story ideas and mutual needs. It’s a great group where media and public relations pros exchange ideas and discuss emerging trends in the industry. Recently someone asked, "is PR dead?". This particular category of marketing has certainly evolved over the last 5 years and the pandemic has accelerated much of this change---but reports of its death have been greatly exaggerated. In this complicated world, journalists change jobs more frequently while putting a smaller emphasis on media contacts. The competition for eyeballs is harder as attention spans get shorter and the consumer segment is more fragmented, making targeted strategies more critical. Here’s a deeper look at why I believe the personalized publicity industry will become even more valuable within the next half decade and why strategic thinkers will lead the way.

He might have been a painter at the root, but Andy Warhol can still teach entrepreneurs a ton about revenue growth and publicity, even decades after his death. Warhol knew intuitively how to frame an idea that continually captivated the media's attention and elevated his brand. Even more impressive, he found ways to turn that publicity into revenue that pushed his art value to record highs. When I was an executive producer at a television network, I was fascinated by how Warhol was able to tap into that creative spirit and produce ideas we had never seen before. Even today, as the owner of a public relations firm, I see how Warhol's approach to publicity is applicable to business.

David Blaine and David Copperfield might be the most famous magicians today, but they may not be remembered in 100 years like the Great Houdini. And it has nothing to do with magic, and everything to do with publicity. Magicians and publicists at the top of their games possess similar skill sets. They must know how to tell a story and sell the invisible, both need a hook to lure you in and they have to differentiate their act (or product) from competitors. No magician did this PR act better than Houdini, from the 19th century until even today. If you want publicity for your business, put aside those MBA case studies and read up on Houdini. He turned his name into a global brand without any of the technology we have today. Houdini built up his name, town by town, by courting controversy, engaging in publicity stunts and using publicity tactics that still work today. This podcast explores how you can bring out the magician in your PR campaign.

It’s the question every company will inevitably ask when debating marketing strategies: Should we hire a West Coast, East Coast or local public relations firm? Or, do we bring it in-house? There are objective methods to identify the best PR approach for your business. And contrary to what many entrepreneurs believe, it has nothing to do with a PR firm’s size, revenue, industry or makeup. It has everything to do with your company’s objectives and goals. This podcast outlines three questions to help you better identify whether an East Coast, West Coast or local PR firm is best for your business, regardless of your industry or location.

Everyone has heard of influencers, but have you heard of emotional motivators? They should be at the top of the radar of every public relations strategy. Emotional motivators are a specific group of consumers who like the need for excitement or attention. They influence others and drive decision-making. When a PR strategy taps into emotional motivators, you can earn a brand ambassador better than any celebrity spokesperson. In my experience, these motivators help bring a higher return on investment for any PR campaign and increase the chances that your brand will spread via word-of-mouth. This podcast explores how to reach them.

An experienced communications strategist is more than a publicist. They should be a sound advisor who provides a broader societal view when it comes to messaging — someone who understands where the news is headed and how to position your brand into that cycle. It helps if they have a strong intuition for what makes for a good story. There are many successful entrepreneurs, politicians and entertainers who have a gut instinct on how to move the media narrative. Like or dislike his politics, President Trump has a pretty good understanding of how to get his different brands on the news.

Every entrepreneur should be thinking about what can happen if you don't  keep your pulse on where the consumer is headed. Your business might be  in front now, but any event or disruptor can change your position  quickly. Over the years, I've worked with startup disruptors similar to that  founder who forced industry leaders to change their business models.  I've also run media campaigns for existing industry leaders who found  themselves suddenly losing market share to smaller brands. Each situation is different, but here are three tactice I try to always keep at the forefront of my business. These tactics are based on watching established organizations fight off new threats and young  startups strive to become leaders in their space.