PS|PR: Making The Most Out of Your Publicity

Welcome back for this week's edition of PS|PR. This feels a little like story time with Mister Rogers in my mind. Is that weird? Probably, but just go with it and imagine a trolley with puppet people behind you as you read this.

This guy is still getting free publicity decades after he went off the air. You can't buy that kind of PR!

After last week's post...you figured out you needed PR. You got yourself a publicist. What do you do now? The answer is definitely NOT to sit back and wait for results. Professional Socialites suggests that you:

• Communicate with your PR pro! Let them know what you need from them, and always try to return their calls and e-mails in a timely manner as some things they need from you may be time sensitive and could help (or hurt!) your company. 
• Know what to expect, and be realistic! The manner in which Return-on-Investment (ROI) in PR is measured varies, and is mostly based on placement and exposure. It doesn't exactly equal dollar amounts in sales, as with marketing and advertising. Do your research and know what you should expect before you begin.
• Be visible! Your publicist should be working diligently to get you and your brand noticed, but nothing can sell your brand better than you. This is especially important for small businesses and brands like those that Professional Socialites represents. The theme song to Cheers should play when you walk into a room "Where everybody knows your naaaame..."
• Enjoy the experience! Publicists are often de facto confidants, friends and psychologists to clients due to the sheer fact that they entrust us with helping them build their brand, and the amount of time spent working closely with them. Nurture the relationship with your PR pro with mutual respect and kindness. This may sound a little "after-school special-ish," but it is definitely an important factor in your working relationship. Mister Rogers would expect nothing less. 

PR pros and clients, feel free to comment and let us know what are some important things you think are important in a publicist-client relationship!