Target, Target, Target!

Too many businesses pursue PR with the mistaken belief that “any press is good press. This is just not true. What good is it to have your business mentioned in a local newspaper if the people you need to influence never read it and would not be impressed anyway?

To get the most from you efforts, focus less on the volume of media impressions you generate and more on the quality of those impressions. Smaller businesses usually benefit more by targeting their PR efforts toward a smaller, more qualified, tightly focused audience of the best potential customers for what they are selling.

For example, an international consulting firm could bombard their local newspaper with press releases in hopes of a mention. And if they persist, they will probably succeed in getting a mention in the paper. But if their customers are located in other parts of the country or are better reached through a trade publication, what’s the point?

Your time is best spent courting only media coverage for your firm that stands the best chance of reaching your prospects and customers. Remember, good PR is defined in sales and money in the bank, not emotionally in column inches.