Not every business needs heavy PR investment. While plenty of business owners want as much PR coverage as possible, not every industry needs it as much as its owners might think. Some businesses achieve more public exposure by investing in advertising instead.
Which businesses do best with PR?
Some industries do best in front of the media, whether because they're experts in a particularly complex field or because they have insider knowledge that affects people's lives. These types of businesses tend to have an easier time connecting with the public through earned media.
Other businesses strive for media coverage but haven't been successful. For them, a specific approach can improve the chances of getting media coverage, but they need the right elements in place to create an actual news story.
Why research and data matter
Data for its own sake isn't valuable to anyone, but data or research that adds weight to a news story becomes valuable fast. Many journalists want data when they cover a business story.
These days it's easy for companies to gather data. To turn that data into media coverage, it needs to give people new information or reinforce a claim about a contemporary topic. Research should tell the public something it doesn't already know.
Many companies already run research that supports internal business decisions. When business owners look back through that research, they often find the story that's good enough for media coverage.
Why good information matters
Some industry professionals have access to information not always available to the public, which makes them valuable sources on issues that affect people.
The same is true for business owners with information valuable to the public because of their experience or expertise. If a business owner isn't getting media coverage, it's often because they aren't sharing valuable information they already have, sitting in their own research, that they haven't looked through again.
Why the story matters most
Public relations is about telling stories to media outlets and the public. Businesses without an interesting or valuable story to share will not get media coverage. These businesses would generally do better investing in advertising instead of PR.
For business owners building a story from their data and expertise, that story needs a few characteristics. It should have a positive, inspiring effect on the reader. It should be simple, since most journalists don't have time to cover a long, complicated story. Above all, the story should be valuable, interesting, and to the point so it actually reaches people.
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
