Allison Dawn Public Relations

Public Relations grassroots campaigns rooted in blogging, SEO (search engine optimization), press release distribution and generation of relevant incoming links are an amazing tool for building a groundswell of recognition and support  for your business.

So many people are in a rush to obtain magazine, radio and television coverage for their business, while neglecting the public relations benefits of online social media and online social networking. In this case I have to credit one of my public relations clients for teaching me this valuable PR lesson.

Not too long ago, I began running a public relations campaign for a new niche social networking and micro-blogging website and after some strategy meetings we collectively, if apprehensively came to the conclusion that the right approach for us would be to first build a thriving online community and a groundswell of buzz before venturing into the traditional media.

Long story short, we vigorously pursued a presence on Facebook, FriendFeed, Xanga and Twitter and then began contacting social networking, dating, relationship and other types of high profile blogs that fell into the site’s proper demographic. Well our efforts paid off, and our greatest public relations advocates became Internet users, who began linking to the site, Tweeting about the site and posting excerpts from the site and our viral reach was outstanding.

Radio soon came calling and there has been radio coverage of the site on an ongoing basis almost since launch. We are now taking all of this incredible grassroots public relations ammunition that we have accrued over the past two months and beginning to approach televison and magazines.

The definition of public relations is changing, and although glossy magazines have prestige they don’t offer groundswell public relations like the blogs do, and nothing else in our modern history does either.

“There is no such thing as bad press.” Everyone has heard that quote, and while some publicists and public relations firms would defend this statement, others would argue against it to the point of hostile debate.

So is any publicity good publicity? it depends largely on if you are simply looking for attention or if you are looking for positive attention and a specifically crafted image for your brand. We are all familiar with parents whp refuse to give a disorderly child any negative attention, by disregarding their tantrums and mischeif while giving positive re-inforcement for proper behavior. If you want your brand to look like a disorderly child to potential clients, customers and the general public then bad press might be of value to you. That is not a joke, but a true statement. Think about rock n’roll bands, eccentric artists, and the like. many of them would indeed fall into this category. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have that kind of freedom to play with our image.

Good public relations is not just about bringing attention to a brand, but about crafting a brand’s image so that when the public thinks of that brand, they associate certain images and ideals with that brand. Sometimes, as tempting as it may be, you cannot accept every media request that comes down the pike. If you look at media coverage and a media image as a secondary career that will boost and bolster your primary career you have to give thought and direction to public relations and media opportunities. Would you take any job that comes your way? Would you work with any client or customer, no matter how inappropriate they might be for you? Public Relations campaigns are similar in that way.

Knowing what your brand stands for and what it does not is a component of your public relations campaign that must be agreed upon with your public relations firm so that you can navigate the media to achieve a certain level of recognition in your market while upholding the integrity of your brand.

Does Public Relations Automatically Lead To More Sales? Thi is a tricky one. A client signs on with a public relations firm in hopes of shining a spotlight on their product or service with the ultiate goal of generating more business. Let’s face it, getting press is nice, but you can’t feed your family with bragging rights. Ultimately, a public relations campaign has to pull its weight in dollars and cents.

The answer is, if the publicity that is achieved is directly in line with the best possible PR outlets for your company and if the press is achieved in a targeted demograhic, you have the best possible chance of turning public relations into sale$. The kind of press that is best for upping a company’s sales is not always what the public relations client wants. There in lies a giant conflict. For instance, if an automotive company had to choose between being featured on Good Morning America or being featured in a popular automotive magazine or blog they might likely choose GMA, but the niche media placement would likely serve them better in instant sales.

If a drugstore cosmetics line had the choice between being featured in a market page of Allure Magazine or a media spotlight column in a CVS or Rite Aid bulluten, they make likely choose Allure, but the glossy image of their product in the high-end beauty magazine is a misfire for reaching their target market.

Vanity public relations has its place when it comes to attracting more press and investors, but an instant sales spike is not as likely, so for this reason when embarking on a public relations campaign, goals and expectations must be sketched out and agreed upon before a company invests that monthly PR retainer.