3 COMMON MYTHS ABOUT PR
When I talk to people about growing their personal brand, there are three common myths about PR that I keep hearing over and over again. These are common blockages that many people deal with, but I’m here to tell you that they aren’t real. Some of these myths become serious problems because of how much they can limit a person, and it’s important to root them out before getting stuck because of them. These are objections I hear weekly from people who have so much potential to grow, but haven’t because of their mindset. So down below I wanted to share them with you so that you can replace them with the real facts about PR.
1. ‘I need to be attractive or in a sexy industry if I want to invest into PR.’
No, you don't. As I like to say it, if Shrek can make it, you can make it. ‘Shrek’ by DreamWorks Animated, was originally predicted to be a failure, something that animators who were being punished were sent to work on. However, things quickly turned around after the release of the movie and it became DreamWorks biggest take ever. This movie proved that you don’t need to be attractive or ‘sexy’ in order to be successful or even to get in front of cameras. You don’t need to be a model, a beauty guru, or have the perfect body in order to go public.
When it comes to ‘attractive industries’, there is also a common belief that only certain industries should invest into PR, like surgeons, influencers, coaches, and similar types of jobs that make you go ‘wow’ when you look at them. However, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. I have personally found that the industries that see the most benefits from PR are actually the ones that aren’t usually seen on social media or TV screens very often. Accountants, for example, usually think of themselves as boring. However, being featured in the media as an accountant will actually give you way more credibility and exposure among your peers than an influencer would get from PR. If you think about it, the PR space is already saturated with ‘sexy’ industries all competing for attention. The influencer who gets on TV will reap great benefits, but the accountant will reap even more because of how unusual it is to see someone in that space in a position of publicity. So whether you think you’re ‘attractive’ or not, PR will benefit you either way.
2. ‘I need to be rich to invest into PR.’
Once again, this isn’t true. I’ve helped people with no money get amazing results. Investing into PR is actually one of the best steps to get you on the path to success, but you definitely don’t need to already be at the top of the mountain to invest into methods that help you get there. PR is simply short for ‘public relations’, or as I like to say it, ‘relating yourself to the public’. There are ways that you can relate yourself to the public without paying a single penny for it. In fact, here are a few ways that you can do so starting today:
Get active on social media
Start networking and meeting more people in your space
Offer to share your story for free for a new/small press firm
These are all great ways that you can start your PR journey without paying for it at all.
3. ‘My brand has to be perfect before I go public.’
This is probably one of the worst things you can believe about your brand before investing. I come across so many people that believe they must be perfect before paying for PR. Here’s a little test you can take to determine if you are falling into this trap yourself. Read through the list below, and ask yourself if you have ever prioritized these things before your growth or marketing:
Your logo
Your website
Your sales team
Your schedule
Your logo doesn’t need to be perfect before you go on TV. Your website doesn’t have to look amazing before you get a press article written about you. Your sales team doesn’t have to be making tons of money before you get interviewed on a podcast. And your schedule will never be perfect, so there’s no point waiting for that to fall into place.
If you want to grow, your brand needs attention and exposure now. Waiting around for everything to fall into place can take years to happen. Perfect doesn’t exist, so if you’re waiting for perfection, it will never come.
If you need some help figuring out your PR strategy and need a place to start, feel free to book a call with me here and I would love to have an open conversation with you on how you can amplify your brand in the media. Whether you’re just starting, you’re stuck, or you’ve been in the game for a while now, there’s always room for improvement.
