SKC Insights

"Private opinion is weak, but public opinion is almost omnipotent," said Harriet Beecher Stowe, an abolitionist author who lived in the 1800s. More than 150 years later, this statement still rings true. Organizations must find ways to communicate and convince your target publics of the worth of your missions, services, and products - or compromise success.

Here are five reasons why you need the media:

1. Reach Your Target Audiences

The media has the uncanny ability to reach thousands and millions of the right people in an amazingly short time. The company and/or individual who knows how to interest and intrigue the media has mastered one thing -- the ability to leverage the media for mutual benefit.

Small, medium or large? The real world presents us with an endless array of choices—from the clothes we wear to the size of our computers and sound systems. In a world of shrinking gadgets where nanotechnology reigns supreme, we've learned that big is not necessarily better. In the world of public relations and digital marketing, we've learned that small is often better!

Sometimes it is nothing short of mystifying when a competitor with lesser products, numbers, and brand recognition generates more ink than you. Just as the art of Chinese calligraphy is built upon layers of subtleties, spanning thousands of years of knowledge and imbued with the spirit of the masters, so are the complexities of telling your company's story.

Imagine… your words inspire, enlighten, provoke, stimulate. Imagine… your phone ringing off the hook. The media wants you, customers want you, and investors are interested in you. Media interviews give you an opportunity to demonstrate your company's thought leadership as well as breathe life and personality into your company’s image. They also allow you to reach an exponentially targeted audience quickly. This can be a momentous responsibility, but it is also a momentous opportunity.

Let's face it... few of us are truly comfortable in the spotlight. 

This is especially true when we come face-to-face with the media. When the camera rolls, we put on our most valiant voice, and pray secretly that we're not misquoted, misrepresented, misunderstood, or even ridiculed. Are those knees shaking? Is your heart racing? Fear no more, it's time to quash the nerves and embrace the spotlight!

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, over 50% of small businesses fail in the first year and 95% fail within the first five years. Businesses who escape this fate and succeed, more often than not, have mastered the art of public relations. These companies have figured out how to use PR to multiply their effectiveness with customers, partners, and investors.

Customers, partners and investors make decisions about your product or service based upon what they read, hear and experience. You are the expert on how to optimize your IoT product, fortify your cereal or leverage your portfolio of investments, but do you know the best approaches for optimizing your partnership with your PR firm? Here are five ways:

In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Then in 2017, you and your crew set sail in search of buried gold to stake a claim on your industry’s uncharted territory. But alas mate, you find yourselves in the dreaded doldrums - where the calm sea of no publicity lies. If only a current of public recognition would carry you away, then you are this much closer to Treasure Island.
 
Well Captain, your crew awaits your instructions, so what should you do before there is mutiny on the bounty? It’s time to bring in the PR oars of salvation and start rowing your ship to the promised land.

Here are five ways to make news when there is no news:

Today's headlines across the world are filled with examples of bad media relations practices. From lying to spying, American companies and politicians at the highest levels are behaving appallingly and unprofessionally toward the media. A good media relationship is a blessing and a joy for any company, but it isn’t always easy to walk the straight and narrow.

When companies plan their media outreach initiatives, we should keep in mind these four commandments of media relations: