Is Your Brand PR Ready? A 10 Question Checklist
Photo by Darryl Kelly on Unsplash
When it comes to PR, every startup and small business gets to a point where they think, “Hey, I think our company should get some media attention!” or “Wouldn’t it be nice to get an article written about our company” If you’re not already aware of the big impact that earned media can have on your brand, definitely read our previous blog post on this topic. PR and earned media can be utilized as a huge part of building your brand, but the question often comes up as to when to start with PR. The earlier you start to prioritize PR within your marketing strategy, the more opportunity you have…so in theory, earlier is better - as long as your company is ready for it. Not sure where to start? We’ve put together a 10 question checklist to run through to consider whether or not your company is ready to get started with PR.
Do you have a company mission?
Before you get started with a PR strategy, it’s imperative to finalize your company mission. Yes, you may be in good shape with your product or offering, but what is it that your company stands for? Think about your company mission and make sure the entire team is on board as they think about what your company is all about, This mission will carry through to your PR efforts and in any interviews you may have.
Do you understand your competitors?
Understanding your competitors is typically done pretty early on, so you’ve likely already done your research on who your competitors are in your space. However, take it one step further and understand how they are getting media attention. Are they leaning into a particular angle, getting a lot of coverage by a type of media outlet or maybe doing several thought leadership pieces?
Is your website in good shape?
Earned media will drive traffic to your website. If your brand gets a big media hit, it could drive thousands of people to your website immediately. I can’t even count the times I’ve heard that startups featured on Shark Tank who have had their websites crash the night the episode airs. Of course that is a huge audience and a good problem to have, but it’s always good practice to make sure your website is safe and secure but also has your information listed in a clear, concise way and that you have everything setup to capture the attention of your target audience.
Are your social media channels active?
Along with the website, earned media drives interest and engagement in social media channels. So, make sure that not only are your social media channels ready but they’re also active and you’re demonstrating your brand and company mission through these channels.
Have you setup your email system yet?
When people get to your website, you want to make sure that you are capturing their email. Email marketing is a valuable way to connect with your audience which can carry over for years in the future. The sooner that you have a system in place, the sooner you can start to build up your audience. Email marketing is what I like to call “owned media” because you own that list of contacts once they’ve opted in.
Do you have a story to tell?
Along with all of the technical aspects for being PR ready, you also need to think about the story that you have to tell. Along with the product or service you are selling, the media may likely be interested in a different angle. Maybe it’s about your startup or entrepreneurial journey, or perhaps the WHY of why you started the company. But more than likely you are going to need to brainstorm the right story that journalists will find relevant. Along with getting the perspective of a PR pro, you can also monitor current trends in the news or setup keyword or competitor alerts to examine similar articles and learn how you can uniquely add to the conversation.
Are your assets ready to go?
Many times, I tell clients they don’t need a full media kit to be PR-ready. However, you do need to have your assets lined up. That means professional brand images - both product and lifestyle images, a clear logo and also founder photos. You’ll also need a founder bio or team bios and headshots ready to go. And then depending on the type of company, a clear outline of the product or service description and benefits will be useful to have handy as needed. By pulling these assets together you have a head start on creating your full media kit.
If you are a product business, are your affiliate programs setup?
For companies with physical products, you’ll need to make sure your affiliate programs are setup before doing any PR. If you’re new to this world, many news outlets use affiliate programs like ShareASale and Skimlinks, so that when they feature your product they basically get a percentage of any sale that comes from them. This has become increasingly popular over the past few years and helps media outlets gain revenue while helping small businesses get in front of bigger audiences, so it’s a win-win.
Do you have someone comfortable and ready to do interviews?
Not everyone in the company needs formal media training, but it’s a good idea to talk through who the person will be in the company to take the interviews. Do they have the time in their schedule if they need to do a last minute phone interview? Are they comfortable doing podcast interviews or being on-camera? Make sure you have someone or a few people designated in the company willing to jump in when needed.
Have you considered your budget?
PR budgets can range the gambit from DIY-PR courses an internal marketing person could take, a PR consultant or a larger agency. Consider how much you want to put towards PR and what you hope the results will be. As a PR consultant myself with the experience an expertise of a larger agency, I usually like to be up front with clients on expectations so they know a larger budget will likely allow for more time to be put into the PR strategy and outreach so likely will garner more results, but we can scale up and down depending on their budget.
Want to chat more about whether or not your brand is PR ready? Email me at holly@littlebirdboston.com.
