How can you tell if the PR opportunity is legit?
A public relations (PR) strategy is still one of the best ways to establish a positive presence and create third-party credibility in your industry. However, not every firm or news organization claiming to be in the business is actually offering legitimate PR opportunities or legitimate news coverage. A handful of firms and “news” entities are out there promoting services that are technically legal but borderline unethical (a.k.a. not legit). The result is that some businesses end up paying for questionable services that do nothing to support their PR goals. So, how can you spot legit PR opportunities and recognize red flags news offers (a.k.a. fake news)? Here are four scenarios to help guide you as you decide how to spend precious marketing dollars.
Awards and Accolades as a PR Opportunity
Scenario: A client was thrilled to receive an email from what seems to be an industry-related publication announcing she’d “won an award, ” including a cover story profile in their publication. The email included a magazine cover mock-up complete with her photo and name on the front. To accept the (unsolicited) award, she only needed to pay the company the “low” price of $6,000.
What to Know: An authentic business award will require some type of application process, and most of them have entry fees ranging from $100 to $1,000. While legitimate awards do often require a monetary investment for the rights to use the publication’s logo and receive a plaque or trophy, they will never make receiving the award contingent on paying a large fee to be included in their publication. Legitimate awards will also offer extensive details on the terms, conditions, restrictions, and judging process.
Media Access May be Fake News
Scenario: A company reaches out, offering its paid services for “guaranteed” placement in top-tier publications or high-profile media outlets. The sender may weave in flattery about how they’ve been following your journey and may even include a few tidbits from your published bio or website to make it seem personal.
What to Know: Be wary of any firm offering guaranteed media placement or coverage. A firm with this type of offer may have its own home-grown “publication” or obscure news portal in which it can place your business, yet it won’t have any reach or visibility. A true PR Pro will spend time getting to know you and your business first and then make recommendations on reputable outlets that fit your particular situation. PR pros vet inquiries to see if it’s a legitimate PR opportunity. They also vet the newsworthiness of a business, determine pitch angles, and develop unique approaches rather than making blanket promises via cold outreach.
Appearances and Thought Leadership Placements
Scenario: A company reaches out and offers you media exposure for a fee. They want to produce video clips or create written content about your business, claiming it will end up in big-name media outlets.
What to Know: This scenario is tricky because it sounds like sponsored content, a form of paid media that is legitimate and often fruitful. A sponsored content opportunity entails one business creating content – typically a thought leadership piece or advertorial-style article – and then contracting a media outlet to share and distribute it. Even though businesses pay for sponsored content, the content still needs to fit the media outlet’s brand, editorial guidelines, and industry coverage. A true PR pro will follow this process when supporting a client: identify a relevant outlet first, confirm the contract, and then (and only then) create the content.
Pay for Results Models
Technically, all PR firms and marketing agencies are “pay for results,” meaning no business will keep working with a firm that delivers zero value. Still, some new companies have cropped up promoting their “pay for results” models, implying that work is free upfront.
What to Know: “Pay” and “results” are both vague words. Does “pay” mean they find you authentic media coverage only to charge you double on the back end? Does “results” mean placement in a remote outlet no one has ever heard of? While there may be some well-meaning pay-for-results companies out there, there are no standards governing what the term means, and a business needs to spend unnecessary time reading the fine print to determine if it’s a genuine company.
Winger Marketing has amplified B2B and B2C companies’ brands for decades through PR best practices with proven results. Get in touch to discuss public relations and marketing opportunities for your business.
