PR is the first call for launching a new business, a new product, keeping your brand alive and managing a brand’s reputation. Naturally, every PR strategy is implemented with success in mind, but trying to capture customers attention and interest is not always an easy task. There are a number of reasons as to why a PR campaign may not be successful, we here at Food PR took a look at some of the main ones and ways to overcome these difficulties.
1: Lack of time and effort:
Hiring a PR firm is not like waving a magic wand that will automatically ensure more customers and extra profit. PR will definitely improve your business exposure and should promote and market your business if it used effectively. To ensure that you get the most out of your PR campaign, adequate time and effort should be given to creating and implementing it. A PR campaign is a commitment which shouldn’t be taken lightly. Lack of time to engage in PR results in rushed campaigns which have little/no effect on business growth. Nobody knows more about your company than you and so your knowledge and time are invaluable. Only you can decide on your target market and work towards attracting that. Dedicating a few hours each week to your PR campaign will be highly beneficial in the long run, and will strengthen the bond between you and your PR firm as communication of ideas can then flow easily. The saying rings true, ”All good things take time”, and PR is no different.
2: You aren’t thinking outside the box:
You may think that you are being highly innovative by hiring a PR firm for your business. But the reality is that we’re living in the 21st century, where for many companies PR is a basic necessity and not a luxury. Your business faces competition from thousands of other similar ones, many of which are also running vigorous PR campaigns to make their moneys worth. Therefore, you need to try your hardest to stand out from the crowd. Forward thinking, new ventures and unique ideas are all crucial ingredients in the recipe for PR success. If you don’t think outside the box, then you will just blend in with the medley of businesses just like you, making it much harder to attract potential clients.
3:You’re not listening to your customers:
So you’re putting in the hours each week working on your PR campaign, and you are trying your best to cope up with bright ideas to improve and promote your brand, but something still isn’t working? It could be that perhaps you’re not taking on board what your target audience wants. Customer communication is essential in any business and plays a big part in PR. By listening to your customers and perhaps asking what they think of your PR campaigns, you can begin to pinpoint errors and concentrate on fixing them. The whole point of PR is to ensure that your business gets the best chance possible to flourish and grow, but this cannot happen if the same mistakes are being repeated over and over again. Listening to existing customers provides the opportunity for change which could potentially result in success.
4: You’ve chosen the wrong PR agency:
A PR’s job is to make their client’s look good, so naturally they are experts at making themselves look good too! All of them will promise to take you to the moon and back with their campaigns, but unfortunately not all of them deliver. PR is a tricky business and a slow and steady approach towards business development is what works best. Starting off small and then working up towards vast media coverage is always going to be a more attainable approach than promises of instant success. Any PR firm that gives the impression that they will just click their fingers and suddenly attract your business copious amounts of new customers needs to be examined cautiously.
5: If at first you don’t succeed… :
As mentioned above, PR is a slow burning process. It takes time and results cannot be seen overnight. Sometimes, your campaign just might not work out, and that’s okay. That doesn’t mean that future campaigns won’t be successful. You learn from your mistakes and how are you ever going to learn if you don’t make any. The real knack to PR is to keep on trying and improving with each attempt. The best thing to is to keep a calm head and a positive attitude towards PR, and to take it all in your stride. If you do this, then it is likely that one day your ship will come in and result in a successful campaign and you will finally realize what all the fuss is about.
Want more honest opinions about PR and what we can do for you? Call Food PR
