Ask Us Anything: PR expert Odette Barry answers your media and communications questions

This month we asked you for questions on best practice PR and communication strategies. Answering your Ask Us Anything questions is PR expert Odette Barry.

We selected the top 4 questions asked, and hope Odette’s answers help you create the ultimate PR strategy for your business.

1. How do I build a media presence as a respected source in my field? My business engaged an agency but ended up paying a lot of money for media that frequently had our business name wrong, didn’t portray the message we wanted to get across, and ultimately couldn’t deliver. 

Is there a way you recommend I can achieve a media profile without an agency, or is it simply too hard to cut through as a small business with a small budget?

I’m so sorry to hear about your experience. It’s incredibly frustrating to invest good money in poor results. However, there are several strategies you can implement before considering a publicist, and plenty of avenues to build your profile without one.

• Choose the Right PR Agency & Ask The Right Questions Firstly, when engaging a PR agency, always request case studies of their previous clients. Review the results they’ve achieved and ask to speak directly with those clients to understand the impact the campaigns had on their businesses. Ensure that the agency has experience with a clientele similar to you and that their results align with your goals. Even if they don’t give the client’s contact details, you can always reach them on LinkedIn or via their business website.
• Relinquishing Control: You will never have 100% control over the message in PR. A good publicist can position you positively, but ultimately, it’s up to journalists and editors to interpret your story in a way that fits their publication and audience.
  I always advise clients to surrender and let go of the need to control every word (although getting your business name correct is a bare minimum!) and instead focus on storytelling and brand building. Allow the publication to represent you organically and naturally within their medium. This can be challenging, but it’s essential for authentic representation.
• Paid Media: If you prefer complete control over your message, consider exploring paid media or advertorials. While you gain more control over the narrative, you can sacrifice some of the trust and authentic storytelling that comes naturally with traditional PR.
• DIY PR: When it comes to doing PR yourself, it’s absolutely possible to build a strong media presence. You can pitch your own media opportunities by building relationships with journalists. Focus on creating a solid foundation of thought leadership ideas and generating newsworthy moments. It’s crucial to view your stories from the perspective of why they are newsworthy for the publication, not just for your business. This requires effort but can yield significant results.
• Budget Considerations: If you decide to outsource your publicity, ensure you have a sufficient budget. I recommend allocating at least $5,000 per month for at least a three-month period as a minimum spend for a competent publicist. Anything less might indicate that the publicist may not deliver high-value and impactful opportunities. However, if your budget is between $15,000 and $20,000, you can achieve meaningful results.
• Time Investment for DIY PR: If you’re handling PR yourself, dedicate around three hours per week to researching and pitching to media outlets. Read, listen and watch as much media as possible and build a solid foundation of facts and figures and creative ideas to pitch.
• Thought Leadership Strategy: To build your visibility as a respected expert, I would recommend my all-time favourite approach – a thought leadership strategy. Share your knowledge, wisdom, and expertise generously. Comment on current and trending issues as they arise. Thought leadership PR is one of the most effective ways to build your profile. It’s also a welcomed approach by journalists, who are always looking for knowledgeable and experienced experts to contribute to new stories and opinion editorials. By focusing on thought leadership and building genuine relationships with the media, you can establish a strong media presence without the need for an expensive agency.

2. I live in Perth, and all the journalists and industry stakeholders I need to engage with are based in Sydney, Melbourne, or Canberra. I try to use LinkedIn to interact, but it’s not the same as going to events and engaging in person. Do you have any tips?

I intimately understand your situation as someone living in regional New South Wales. It’s a one-hour drive to the airport and two hour flight to any industry events or media coffee dates! 

Proximity to media can be challenging, but don’t let physical distance stop you from creating waves and building relationships with key stakeholders. We’re fortunate to live in the age of LinkedIn and Instagram, which are excellent platforms for building relationships and rapport with key decision-makers.

My recommendation is to avoid making big requests right away – don’t ask for marriage on the first date. Instead, focus on getting to know the people you’re reaching out to. 

Research and familiarise yourself with their work and be generous with the knowledge you share. Offer tips, insights, and opportunities for collaboration. Engage in meaningful conversations through direct messages, and consistently comment on their articles and social media posts to demonstrate your engagement.

Over time, you’ll build a two-way conversation and establish rapport. Once you’ve connected online, consider setting up Zoom meetings or virtual coffee dates to learn more about what they’re working on, writing about, and producing. Always aim to offer value rather than just asking for opportunities.

While being in a regional location poses its challenges, it also provides unique opportunities for building strong relationships online. 

Additionally, I highly recommend budgeting for quarterly or annual travel to connect in person. Scheduling trips to have coffee dates and attend events can significantly strengthen your relationships, complementing your online efforts beautifully.

3. I never know when to use marketing and when to use PR. How do I know which one to choose?

I always think the two go perfectly together. Consider your PR as your top-of-funnel activities, while your marketing is what takes the leads you attract from your PR and moves them through to conversion, whether you’re a product- or service-based business.

PR focuses on reputation, awareness, visibility, and building trust with new audiences, as well as reaffirming trust with existing audiences. On the other hand, your email funnels, social media channels, and paid strategies will move your new leads through the pipeline toward conversions.

I always suggest that both PR and marketing should run concurrently to achieve maximum ROI from your PR efforts. Consumers, whether in the B2B or B2C space, require multiple touchpoints to get to know us and familiarise themselves with our product or service before deciding to invest.

What PR channels and newsletters should I subscribe to that are useful and will help me learn more about this stuff?

Well, aside from the highly self-promotional “Listen to my podcast, Hack Your Own PR” or “Take my course, Hack Your Own PR,” the best way to build your PR understanding is to consume as much media as possible. 

Familiarise yourself with what journalists and editors are producing. My rule of thumb is to listen to, watch, or read at least ten episodes, magazines, or articles from a particular publication before you send off a pitch to get featured. This approach ensures that your pitch ideas are nuanced, well-researched, and perfectly aligned with the publication you’re targeting.

By consistently engaging with their content, you’ll gain a clear understanding of their values, the topics that resonate with their audience, how they structure their headlines, the types of experts they feature, and the data or news hooks that appeal to their readers. Become a paid subscriber to any magazines or media outlets you want to pitch to. This not only grants you access to their email newsletters and subscriber-only content but also helps fund the journalism you aim to be part of.

Instead of spending excessive time researching how to do your PR, I recommend focusing more on developing your unique ideas, gathering your data points, and deeply researching your values. 

Understand why you think what you think, explore your ideas for the future of your industry, and seek innovation by reading books, listening to podcasts, and accessing global sources related to your subject matter. This approach will establish your deep industry knowledge and insights, which are the bread and butter of great PR.

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