Written by: Jennifer von Stauffenberg, President and Founder of Olive
In the heart of summer, it’s refreshing to see a sweet pause with a lot of away messages. I find myself with just a little more time to research, a few more minutes to enjoy a coffee meeting, and a whole lotta sunshine in my world. As a San Diego PR agency, we get struck just a little harder by the hammock culture where things slow down just a tiny bit more… rooftop happy hours and beach days aren’t just a thing, but a way of life. It’s something I have grown to accept and maybe even love. In these precious, unhurried moments, I thought I would jot down some of the reoccurring topics I’m diving into this summer:
- Does PR still work? Yes, the answer is always yes. When you think about the real definition of Public Relations, it becomes abundantly clear that Public Relations not only works, but it’s actually a critical component to a successful business. An organization needing to establish mutually beneficial relationships between the publics for which its success or failure depends on will never not be essential.
- What is the best way for a company to improve their Public Relations strategy? There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to this. The best place to start is by asking who your target audience is. You can prioritize them however you see fit. Perhaps, you look at it from a primary and secondary approach, or you might divide it into categories like low hanging fruit and potential. Regardless, you should also look at age group, gender, or other demographics like families vs. couples without children or single adults. My point is that separating your audience into key groups is important because the days of casting a wide net are over.
- Why can’t you cast a wide net anymore? Surprisingly, technology doesn’t give us a wider reach, it really allows us to target more deeply. Consumers can also fine-tune their preferences to such a specific degree that they really don’t have to see anything they don’t want to see. In the past, we could secure a Today Show interview and O Magazine to really tackle a large audience. Today, audiences are extremely segmented. The way you reach families is completely different than the way you reach a single or married adult without children. For example, a household with children is very unlikely to have the news on because the content is too scary for children. Alternatively, a person who is 65+ thinks it’s completely irresponsible to not stay current on the news, while someone in their 20’s might not have ever held a newspaper before. Technology allows us to be hyper targeted and while that might create more work, it certainly can create more opportunities.
- Why is social media not as effective anymore? We hear this all the time. The new algorithms make it impossible to get very far organically. If you want to play, you gotta pay. Seems crazy… the whole point of these platforms seemed to be to give people a wonderful tool to connect and market their businesses, but that’s just it. If you want people to see what you are posting, you need to advertise on the platform or develop a wonderful social media influencer strategy and/or develop strategic partnerships and collaborations. The days of posting wonderful content and watching your organic audience grow are a thing of the past. There are some exceptions to this rule – if you are a musician performing in front of thousands of people 50 nights a year while you tour, you probably won’t struggle to convert your real-life audience to follow online – but for most businesses, it really isn’t that simple.
- Why do people unfollow so frequently? Again, those algorithms. So often there will be an algorithm shift and all of a sudden your feed looks different. People will unfollow if what you are posting doesn’t feel authentic and/or they aren’t getting value out of it. Plus, a lot of people don’t like to be followed by less people than they follow, so there’s that added “vanity” struggle. If you aren’t keeping it relevant, it’s brutal out there.
- Does media relations work anymore? Yes, it does, but just like everything else, audiences are sliced and diced more ways than they have ever been before. For example, a story that runs on the Today Show might not have the same big impact that it had before, but if the story gets shared on social media, it might have an even bigger impact than it did. If someone with great influence shares it, it can skyrocket. The difference between now and in the past is that the reason the story makes it big has more to do with the sharing after (or the syndication) than the first time it runs. The initial audience might not take action, but all the subsequent shares can create the lift off. The other thing that makes an individual hit a little less powerful is that in the past people had only a handful of options for major news stories, and now there are so many. Audiences are segmented in more ways now than ever before.
- Do influencers actually make a difference? Yes, they do and they can, but not always. Not a single marketing tactic always That’s why it’s not particularly easy. At Olive Public Relations, many of our clients have social media influencer outreach campaigns and we have yet to determine a consistent value. Sometimes it’s magical and sometimes it can go almost completely unnoticed. That is how it’s different out there. In the past, we would schedule time to sit down and watch a single TV show as a family. Remember the bathroom breaks and all the yelling to ensure everyone got back to their seats before things started back up… I’m talking before pause buttons existed. Today, you can sit on the couch and watch a show on the TV, while scrolling social media simultaneously. You have infinite options for viewing. If influencers are sharing snapshots of life, it still has to resonate with the viewer on a level that will make them stop in their tracks… otherwise, it’s just noise, another post and another forgotten slice of life. I’m in my mid-40’s and I chuckle when I’m influenced and announce it to everyone like a badge of honor. Now, don’t get me started on impulse purchases from advertising… I’m the biggest sucker of them all. Hook, line and sinker every single time. Instagram is evil and knows exactly what shoes I will love. I have grown to hate it because it’s become so expensive for me.
- Does a business have to do Public Relations? Yes, every business has to do some form of public relations. They may not need to do media relations, but they certainly must do community relations or social media or a campaign to connect with their customers. At Olive, every client we work with has a different mix of services. Some of our clients focus on a mix of community relations, internal communications, direct outreach, media relations, social media, community activations, and more. The real difference today is that one thing won’t get you the same results it did 10+ years ago, you have to constantly be adjusting your strategy to help you achieve your goals.
At Olive Public Relations, we love supporting businesses and organizations in finding their magical mix. We would love to support you too. Even though it’s slightly more complicated than it has been in the past, it has more potential than ever when it’s done effectively. Contact us today to help you sort through your targets and the best strategies for developing lasting mutually beneficial relationships.
