Anyone that has been in my world for a while now will know that PR is all about relationships and reputation.
So building profitable PR relationships is the nature of the beast. Whether this is with your customers, your clients, your peers, the media or even your shareholders – building those relationships are key to your success.
Ultimately any business that engages in PR is looking to influence others to have a positive impact for the benefit of the business.
Building better relationships, getting better results, building a better reputation, they are all connected.
So…. How do you go about building profitable PR relationships?
Quick note: when I refer to profitable, I am not specifically referring to monetary profit. You can profit in other ways, such as raising your profile, growing your network and receiving opportunities.
The following steps will apply whether you are trying to build a relationship with a journalist, getting to know a potential client or reaching out for opportunities in the future.
STEP 1: DO YOUR RESEARCH
Who do you actually want to build relationships with?
Ultimately this comes down to what you want to achieve for your business and what success looks like for you.
Think about who around you will help you make your business successful – journalists, other women in business, peers, other businesses you could collaborate with?
Also think about what you would want from this relationship. You need to be strategic. For example, if it is a journalist, you will want them to cover you at some point but what can you offer them? All relationships are a two-way street. By wanting to be covered by the journalist you are in turn offering them a great story.
STEP 2: APPROACH THEM
You need to get in touch with them and start to build that relationship. Think about what is the best way to approach them or get noticed by them.
Using the example from above and the person is a journalist, you could follow them on social media, see what they are interested in and start to get an insight into that person.
STEP 3: MAKE IT HAPPEN!
PR is all about making things happen.
Make that contact, attend that event, make that pitch, whatever the route is, you are going to take action.
Be really clear about how you are going to introduce yourself and what you want them to know about you. They need to know and understand who you are in order to build that rapport.
It is all about human interaction and using those common sense principles with a thought behind what you can both get out of it. That is what relationships are all about.
Caroline’s Golden Rules:
- You never know where that contact is going to take you. Meet every one with an open mind.
- Look for mutual benefit. How can you help each other and make something great happen?
- Always be genuine, honest and authentic. People remember you and you want to be remembered for the right reasons.
- Know what you want to achieve.
- Set clear expectations and boundaries and make sure you have mutual respect.
- Keep in touch! Relationships take time, so commit to building on it.
Don’t be afraid to get in touch with people – being open, honest and proactive will take you a long way (in both life and PR!)
If you need help in identifying the key relationships to build to grow your business then sign up for a 2-hour Cheerleader PR Strategy Session with me 📣.
Book now here.
To see my live video talking about ‘How to Build Profitable PR Relationships’, click here.
