{"id":6822,"date":"2021-07-27T15:01:57","date_gmt":"2021-07-27T15:01:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zenmedia.com\/?p=6822"},"modified":"2022-09-26T04:17:33","modified_gmt":"2022-09-26T04:17:33","slug":"the-critical-point-where-most-pr-agencies-fail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zenmedia.com\/blog\/the-critical-point-where-most-pr-agencies-fail\/","title":{"rendered":"The Critical Point Where Most PR Agencies Fail"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Plenty of PR agencies can get their clients press, and good press too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But without even realizing it, your brand may be getting a lot less from your PR agency<\/a> than it should be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post, we\u2019ll cover the critical point at which most PR agencies are failing their clients, and what you can do to make sure you\u2019re getting the absolute most for your PR budget. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here we go!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The different stages of B2B PR<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For most<\/em> agencies, the B2B PR campaign process<\/a> generally falls into three stages: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Discovery<\/li>
  2. Pitching<\/li>
  3. Press <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    The thing is, there\u2019s a missing fourth stage that can massively improve your ROI and overall brand recognition and awareness. More on that in a moment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here\u2019s what happens in each stage of the PR process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Stage 1: Discovery<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is when your PR agency, or the media specialist who\u2019s on your account, is getting to know your brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    They\u2019ll research your company and your executives, look at your existing social media and online presence, and look for any existing press about your brand. After that, they\u2019ll likely ask you some questions on a discovery call (at Zen, we call these \u201cGetting to Know You\u201d calls). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The point of this research phase is to get a good idea of your brand\u2019s personality\u2014tone, voice, etc.\u2014as well as which topics or publications your brand would be a good fit for. It\u2019s also helpful to know what kinds of issues, industry trends, and topics your founders or executives are well-suited to speak about. This will help especially when it comes to quick opportunities for quotes or comments\u2014things like HARO inquiries, or trend roundups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Finally, the PR team will craft broad storylines to base their pitches around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Stage 2: Pitching<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In the pitching stage, your media specialist is reaching out to the reporters, bloggers, creators, and others with whom they have a relationship. They\u2019ll send the pitches they\u2019ve already crafted, while also keeping an eye out for other opportunities that might fit your brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This process is ongoing, so it won\u2019t stop once you get press (unless your contract is over, that is). The media specialist will continue looking for good opportunities and sending out additional pitches as it makes sense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The exception to this would be if you\u2019ve engaged the PR agency for a specific campaign, like a product launch<\/a> or a conference. In this case, the pitching stage will be time-sensitive and tied to that event, with the media specialist focusing all their time on getting as much attention as possible during that campaign. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Stage 3: Press<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    News conference. Spokesman.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    At this point, press is coming in and you\u2019re getting the coverage your PR agency has worked hard to attract. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Your leadership team may be doing interviews with reporters. Your communications team may be crafting comments to submit to blogs. And you may receive requests for 1-3 sentence quotes for various media opportunities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This stage may coincide with the pitching stage if you receive press attention early on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The fourth stage that most PR agencies miss out on: Amplification<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    For most PR agencies, the press stage is where they stop. They get your brand the press hits, and after that, it\u2019s up to you to keep the ball rolling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To be fair, this is how traditional PR has always worked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But it\u2019s certainly not the ideal scenario. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    At Zen, we place a lot of emphasis on the final, \u201cmissing\u201d stage that other PR agencies ignore: amplification. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What is amplification, in PR terms? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Amplification means that when your brand gets a press hit, we amplify<\/em> it by sharing, repurposing, and turning it into more press. In other words, instead of getting the press hit and filing it away in a spreadsheet, we also: <\/p>\n\n\n\n