Public Relations: The Field in a Nutshell | The Startup Magazine

September 24, 2024September 23, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Many people have heard of Public Relations (or ‘PR’ as it’s more commonly referred to), but most couldn’t tell you what this field is at the core. You may have heard about how PR can help your business, or perhaps you’ve heard about it being a lucrative career option in today’s age.

Having read this brief article, you’ll leave knowing what PR is all about and what the benefits are.

What is Public Relations?

Essentially, Public Relations refers to managing communications between an organization or business (or sometimes even an individual) and their client base or target audience. A PR team is there to build awareness and a positive association around their client/employer, working to shape and mold a given brand to align it with an overarching, global objective.

Naturally, this process combines many different practices at once, necessitating a wholly holistic approach. PR could be responsible for anything from copywriting, press release writing, organizational strategies, and really anything that can propel the brand’s image positively.

A look at how one fintech CEO’s PR decision backfired | TechCrunch

October 30, 2023October 29, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

This past week, Carta CEO Henry Ward took it upon himself to send a letter to customers addressing the company’s recent negative press. The move had many scratching their heads, including many customers and at least one investor.

I first learned about it when I saw one of those customers, Winnie co-founder and CEO Sara Mauskopf, post something on X. In her post, she noted that prior to receiving the email from Ward, she “didn’t actually read any negative press about Carta recently.”

She wasn’t alone.

So essentially what Ward did was notify all of Carta’s customers that the company was the target of lawsuits around allegations of sexual abuse on the part of executives and has been accused of having a toxic “boy’s club culture,” among other things. He did so by pointing them to a Medium post/missive he had shared with Carta employees a few days earlier.

5 Reasons Why Public Relations Is Important to Your Brand | The Startup Magazine

September 8, 2022September 6, 2022 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In today’s frenetic world, brands are being pulled in multiple directions. They must address ever-changing customer expectations and rapidly shifting market conditions. To succeed, brands need to take a strategic approach to their communications activities – one that not only maintains but increases brand value and market visibility. Whether your brand is a small business just getting started or an established corporation with global ambitions, establishing a solid public relations strategy can be the key to unlocking new heights of brand awareness and company growth.

There’s no denying that PR is an indispensable cog in any brand’s marketing machinery. After all, as the saying goes, “all publicity is good publicity.” However, this sentiment alone won’t get your brand anywhere. For PR to work wonders for your brand, you need to have a strategic plan in place. Otherwise, your PR efforts will fall flat and fail to deliver the intended results.

But what exactly is PR, and what are the public relations benefits that will help your brand reach new heights?

Let’s understand!

When to Spend on PR and When to do It Yourself (or Not at All) | Entrepreneur

April 19, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

You’ve just started your business, your website is finished, your SEO is lined up, your products are ready to ship, and you’ve got a hungry team eager to seize the moment. All you need to do now is get the word out about that amazing product. Right?

Maybe, but maybe not.

When speaking to budding entrepreneurs, I sometimes find myself giving advice that you wouldn’t expect from a PR professional. I tell them that, for a lot of brands, hiring a PR pro isn’t worth the cost. Don’t get me wrong, a great PR team is one of best brand-building tools a business can employ. But if your brand isn’t positioned to benefit from a well-executed PR strategy, you could end up wasting your time and money.

How to Take Back Control of Your PR From Journalists | All Business

September 9, 2016September 8, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

I was thinking about this recently: When did we hand the keys over to journalists when it comes to shining the spotlight on our businesses? We now have to jump through hoops, write the perfect pitch letter, and stroke their egos to even be considered worth writing about. And even then, there are no guarantees that we’ll get in print (or digital print, as it were).

So why do we give journalists all our power?

I think we’ve become accustomed to this system where journalists are the despots in charge of granting attention to the companies they deem worthy, and so we write press releases and pitches desperate to fall in their good graces. But the world of marketing and PR has changed drastically, and we no longer need that archaic system. As entrepreneurs, we’re perfectly capable of generating a buzz about our brands without their help.

Public Relations Tips and Tricks for Your Business | Inc.com

December 16, 2014 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Creating an efficient PR and marketing plan is a cornerstone to building up your organization’s success. Marketing and PR, unfortunately, sometimes can be costly, particularly if you’re running a lean operation and just starting out. Thankfully, there will include a few affordable PR and marketing tips and tricks which may offer your small business a cost-effective way to successfully increase sales and grow your consumer base.

You may have an excellent service or product, yet if nobody has knowledge of it, generating sales might be difficult. Effective public relations and marketing include proactive methods for you to spread the message to your market and attract potential customers and clients.

Marketing is about discovering methods of reaching your targeted audience–these potential customers and clients who possess an interest in and possible necessity for what you are selling. Public relations includes obtaining positive press and publicity in regard to your business concerning its most recent services, brands, and innovations.