I always chuckle a little bit when I read blogs that advocate bringing PR back to the people. Oh, I exaggerate a little bit but the point of many of these blog posts is that PR now has a chance to talk directly to the customer, and in doing so, needs to change its way of speaking. That somehow, PR practitioners talk with one way to journalists and another to customers. Or to put it another way, that we’re so mired in corporate-speak, we don’t yet know how to speak to the common folk.
C’mmon. What makes me chuckle is that who do these bloggers think journalists are talking to? The fact is that journalists are writing for folks like you and me who want the facts straight up. They can’t write corporate-speak either — if they want any readers.
On the other hand, the insight that public relations folks – and the companies they represent – suddenly have the opportunity to speak directly to their customers rather than take a side road through the media is perfectly valid. My point though is that good PR professionals, assuming they’ve been doing their job, should have been telling a customer-driven story to begin with. They just did it via the media and now have more opportunities to tell their own story.
Wondering how to do that?
Howard Greenstein writing in Inc. offers some good tips about “how to promote your company to a reporter,” that in my book is also good practice no matter whom you’re talking to. It includes telling a story about “how people use your product or service” and sharing examples of clients who are doing just that. It’s making your story come alive.
Fact of the matter is that Greensteins’ tips should be a part of the tool kit of any good PR professional and marketer.
What in our experience as long-time PR professionals has changed, is the medium. Suddenly today everyone has the opportunity to be his/her own media platform. Think about it for a minute. If you update your status on LinkedIn or Twitter to promote an event to your followers, you are now a media channel – and perhaps what you have to say or promote is more important to your followers in certain areas than a major media company. Suddenly, any company, including a company of one, can grab the virtual megaphone, and share its perspective with customers, fans and followers.
That doesn’t mean the story, however, dramatically changes. Sure, the messenger may add a little dollop of personality to the telling, but the basic message points should be the same – be it innovation, quality, money-saving, revenue-enhancing or whatever defines your key selling proposition.
What do you think? How are you telling your companies’ stories. I’d love to hear from you.
