Cards on the table, I hate promoting myself, whether it is for awards entries, CVs or job applications. It makes me cringe. When it came to setting up my business, I needed an objective point of view and turned to journalist colleagues for honest and critical advice – and they didn’t pull any punches! They told me what worked and what didn’t, and what I needed more or less of. This was the critical approach I had been using each day for the past 23 years, but struggled to fully apply to myself. 

I realised it's easy to be critical of yourself, but it is more difficult to pat yourself on the back and shout about what you do well.

With a good news sense and an eye for what makes a good angle, I really enjoy promoting clients and their business. I know what to focus on and what makes them stand out, especially if there is plenty of competition. It is the bread and butter of what I do. 

And it is an ongoing process. What worked well at the launch of a business might not generate results down the line and, however big or small, a new approach is needed. Head down, concentrating on the day-to-day running of the business is not the best place to be when you need to take a step back and objectively take stock of things. 

It can be as simple as having plenty of visitors land on your website home page, but few go further to buy goods and services from you. That doesn’t mean your business has run its course and you can do no more. It means the website needs tweaking to encourage potential customers to make that crucial next step. What was important when they first visited the site may no longer be of interest, so the offering needs to include something for existing customers, as well as new ones.

When I was at journalism college, one of the first exercises we did was to write our own obituaries. This needed a lot of creative input because the next 40-50 years hadn’t happened, but it made us focus on how others might see us – good, bad and ugly.

I was an award-winning National Geographic photojournalist, someone else enjoyed a distinguished career as an investigative reporter, while the highlight was a writer turned-model-turned porn star who died after an unfortunate accident on set.

Creative writing aside, there were some serious and necessary skills being taught. Would the things I think are important matter to other people? Had I skirted over something others found hugely interesting? 

A major issue is the difference between work and family life. People tend to know someone well in one of these spheres but not both. If you think of a colleague you know well, ask yourself if you know enough for a news story - names of family members, where they live, hobbies and interests, pets, previous jobs, etc. Would you be confident giving chapter and verse? Similarly, think of neighbours. You probably don't know the names of everyone in your street, but those you do, do you know their surnames, where they work, where they went to school?

I once received a call from a woman following a tribute piece we had written about her father, who had been a doctor. A well-meaning colleague said the family was too upset to be approached and paid tribute focusing on the achievements at work and what he did in the community. This was fine, but his daughter pointed out that there were no personal details in it: “He meant the world to us and was so much more than a dedicated doctor – he was a devoted dad, loving husband and incredible grandad.” 

It is easy to go overboard with fantastic claims and promotions, but, if you want to be taken seriously, behaving like the current incumbent of the White House is not the way to go about it.

The more you claim to be the best, offering deals like no one else, etc, the more you will get people’s backs up and they will dismiss what you say.

To avoid reinventing the wheel, it is worth focusing on things you can offer that the competition doesn’t, such as free or same-day delivery, or aftercare. These are all things that are in your control and you can make sure you deliver on, whether you are selling the PlayStation 5 or providing legal services.

An honest approach that is deliverable and reliable is a great thing to be able to shout about.

#pr #marketing #promotion