Proactive Connections to Build Business: The Power of PR

Proactive Connections to Build Business: The Power of PR

Before I joined the public relations agency world, I had the privilege of working at a nonprofit organization, where I explored every aspect of communications. Being on a shoestring budget, our communications team honed a diverse range of skills—media relations, content development, fundraising, training, trade show marketing, and more.

Media relations, or the art of earning journalists’ coverage, was especially intriguing to me. I’d hear my manager speaking with reporters and marvel at her confidence as she built valuable media connections. As a more experienced practitioner, that interest in connections has stayed with me—though not in the way others might think.

Contrary to popular belief, I’ve learned that having a huge list of media connections is not what makes PR experts effective. Rather than drawing reactively on their contacts, PR professionals are proactive connectors who can expertly match journalists, bloggers and podcasters they’ve never met with the right sources at the right time. That careful, artful matchmaking elevates brands, keeps them consistently visible, builds trust, improves lead generation and revenues, advances career and volunteer opportunities, and even changes lives. For example:

• The president of a property tax appeal firm met a syndicated real estate journalist at a mortgage convention. This led to her services being featured through MSN and major online dailies with millions of unique monthly visitors. Moreover, as the journalist got to know her, he introduced her to a relevant networking group, which has brought her multiple leads.
• When our agency broke the news of a B2B client’s acquisition activity, media coverage laid the foundation for even wider “networking”. One of the world’s top financial data platforms picked up an article, leading to immediate inquiries.
• Media relations played a major role in an online publication’s ranking a new student loan among the nation’s best—bringing it to families’ attention just as peak college lending season began.
• An editorial invitation for a youth lawyer to pen a one-time blog for a parenting site led to a regular writing opportunity, when the first blog proved extremely popular. Now, the attorney has regular exposure to a whole new group of prospective clients.
• Broadcast and online coverage of another attorney’s “passion project”—photographing all 351 of Massachusetts’ city and town halls—led to a call from a municipal leader offering to publish the photos in a book, which had been the lawyer’s dream. That unexpected introduction led to new connections with a statewide nonprofit organization nurturing outstanding teens, where the attorney is now an active volunteer.

Indeed, public relations is more than a marketing tactic. It’s a vehicle for forging meaningful connections between people through their ideas, accomplishments and content. And those relationships, when consistently cultivated, can lead to significant new business. Those of us lucky enough to be in PR know the thrill of making that magic happen.

Dawn Ringel is Senior Vice President, Public Relations, at Incenter Marketing. Connect with her at [email protected], 617-285-0652 (mobile), or LinkedIn.