PR is a quick win

Absolutely not. PR is a long game of building awareness. Because people can only buy from you if they know of you. It takes, according to theory, seven touch points for a customer to move from first interaction to the point of sale. So you need to be visible, embedding yourself in their minds. At that stage when the customer is about to click the button, make the purchase, sign the dotted line you need to be a brand they feel like they’re already in a relationship with, because of how familiar they are with you.

PR is either trade or consumer

I 100% do not agree with only doing B2B or B2C PR. Because all business people are also consumer people. They read HR Director and The Guardian, or subscribe to Accountancy Age and scroll on Twitter. They might be in slightly different mindsets at each point, but it comes back to visible, recognisable, and making them aware of you. So I’ll get mental health clients talking on psychology of relationships for consumer, as well as latest product release for healthcare publications, or tech clients responding to news about ChatGPT, as well as thought leadership on their solution.

PR is getting stuff in newspapers

Some of PR is about getting your name in the media. But it’s also about brand awareness, thought leadership, lead generation, podcast appearances, speaking opportunities, leveraging socials, newsjacking…the list goes on. A lot of time is spent on emailing journalists, granted, but it’s about the bigger picture of reputation management and thinking about what you want to be known for in the industry. Good PRs think about the bigger picture and creating opportunities for you to be seen, heard, and noted.

PR plays safe

People buy from people. And they buy from people they like. So brands and companies who have a personality are much more likely to convert the sale and seal the deal, and form long term relationships. There will be an element of managing reputation in the face of challenges and crisis comms, but the most successful brands are those who stand out as likeable, fun and someone you want to be allied with.

PR is like Ab Fab

Literally can’t remember the last time I had a glass of fizz with clients. But if you’re offering?

Generalists see the big picture

Yes you could hire a copywriter to sit in their shed and write 3000 words of copy. But what good is that if it doesn’t fit into your wider communications plan? Generalists understand the strategic importance of your marketing for business objectives and how it all fits in to the bigger picture. They know what they do impacts the rest of the business and ensure that impact is a brilliant one.

Generalists can be flexible

If you want to hire a freelancer for a long term relationship it can be beneficial to choose a generalist. They can remain adaptable and flexible to serving your business as needs develop and change, delivering the right service at any one time, in an agile way. Without the need for you to onboard someone new to your business.

Generalists bring a different perspective

If generalists work in different sectors they can often bring ideas from one to another. This boosts creativity and can bring a fresh perspective to your field. You want your business to be uniue and innovative, and that outside in approach can help you do just that. Full-stack employees are prized by companies like Google because they believe “innovation is found at the boundaries between disciplines.”

Generalists are great at leading teams

Because generalists can apply their skills to a range of issues, they tend to have a good understanding of the different roles that people in a team can play. They’ve been there. This makes them great at leading teams and building strategies for success. They have a variety of experiences and each one of them shapes their approach and understanding of what makes people tick.

What do you think? Generalist vs specialist? I’ve written about why you don’t need a niche here. Let me know!