But I've Tried It - PR Doesn't Work

A magazine ran a story on you. You were confident that this article was going to be a big one, and you were prepared. You went so far as to add additional phone lines to handle the hundreds, maybe even thousands, of calls that you knew would be jamming your lines. So, the story came out and - nothing. Not a single call. As far as you know, not a living soul saw it. You are crushed. "That's it!" you yell, pounding your fist on the desk. "No more PR!" You've been spinning your wheels, wasting time and money, and for what? For nothing! You've had it. No more media. It doesn't work and you are a prime example that it doesn't work. You are the consummate illustration of a media failure story. Right?

Wrong. But, understandably, trying to explain that the preceding scenario is not the story of a media failure to clients who have had similar experiences is perhaps the hardest part of my job. If I were handling your campaign, I too would be disappointed that the article did not elicit the response you were looking for, but in the overall scheme of things, I'd think that article was a great tool for us to use in the future.

To be effective in this field you have to look at the big picture. Your short-term goals were not met by the particular article in question, but it affords you new, powerful ammunition to reach your long-term goals. It helps establish you as an expert in your field and separates you from your competition. It gives you yet another media tearsheet that you can use, another article that you can pull quotes from for your press releases and bios.

A prime example is a jewelry company we represented. The first article we landed them was in a small local publication. The article was great, but it resulted in no sales, not even one call. We took that article and sent it along with a release and some sample products to each producer at Oprah, and as it turns out, that article more than worked for them in the long run.

But if nobody saw it, what good can it do you? Plenty. It will help garner you more and bigger media interviews. Plus, you don't know who saw it. You never know. In five days, three weeks, or six months, you may start receiving calls. I've seen this happen over and over again.

Let's say you never receive one call as a result of that article. It's still valuable. You just need to work it. Become the story's distributor - and I mean distributor in the most basic sense - circulate your story, spread the word, mention the story in your biography and fact sheet, use it when pitching other stories, let other media outlets know that you were featured in the article. Duplicate it and use it as a press sample. Use quotes from the story in your mailers, newsletters, ads, and marketing to help you cement your existing client base. If you have employees, distribute it through your company as a form of internal publicity. If used correctly, you can turn this article into a most powerful marketing tool.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2008

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www.AnthonyMora.com