PR Hidden Gems are all Around Your Business

Clients and friends often ask me, “What makes good PR?” My answer is, “It depends; what do you think you have that’s unique?”

There are hidden gem all around your business that make for good public relations – shiny objects that will resonate with your stakeholders, clients/customers and prospects. Often, business owners only see the “shiny” and not the value they have right before them.

Think about any new services or products. The news value isn’t in the new service or product itself, but in how it will impact your audiences. Remember, the news isn’t about you; it’s about how the new offering affects your customers/clients and prospects.

If you’re an accounting firm and venture into a new niche, such as oil & gas or manufacturing, ask yourself if what you’re offering is unique from other firms who niche in similar industries. What makes you stand out above the rest? Do you have a partner or director who is a subject matter expert in these fields? Does that person already have a reputation by being published in online and print publications? If so, that’s your hidden gem, and you can build your PR or media relations campaign by touting his/her experience. A strategy like this is for more interesting to the media than just a news release about the product or service.

Here’s another example. There is a colleague in my Vistage group, Tim Holt, who heads up a staffing firm in which he focuses on placing veterans in positions with companies, a very specialized business. He places talent other than veterans, but that’s his main niche. After hearing more about his business, I found two hidden gems:

• The niche focus, of course. This is PR catnip! Any local or even national TV station would pick up on the uniqueness of working with veterans to find them work. What a great story, especially around a national holiday such as July 4, Veterans Day or Memorial Day.
• One service he provides his clients is to explain the tax benefits of hiring veterans. I do not know all the ins and outs associated with the tax rules, but it seems the business in which the veteran is placed can realize some tax benefits. That’s a great story to tell year-round and especially during tax filings.

Those are just a few examples of hidden gems. Take a look at your business or organization and make a list of what you think your own hidden gems are, then vet it with your employees and colleagues. I guarantee you have great PR stories to tell that will enhance your company’s reputation.