By Melissa A Vitale 

This won’t be a listicle with short answers to the most common questions a publicist gets asked; rather this article will seamlessly link to the most asked questions, and their corresponding blog posts already on MAVPR under our Public Relations FAQ. 

Over the years, I’ve gotten tons of questions from people who seek quick answers from a publicist that are too nuanced to be picked up in google. When I get a couple of these, I usually turn it into an opportunity to update my blog. 

It’s been a couple years since I started organizing the blog and didn’t plan for the volume of articles 2020 would give me time to pen. 

So, here are some commonly asked questions about Public Relations and links to a corresponding blog post with my answer. 

Am I/Is my brand ready for PR? Been thinking about PR but not sure if you’re ready for a publicist? My inaugural blog post reviews how to tell Is Your Brand Ready for PR? Make sure to check out The Pre-PR Checklist below to have everything ready for day one of PR! 

What’s the difference between a PR agency and a PR freelancer? Both agencies and freelancers can propel a brand forward on a desired budget. Find out which is right for you in Public Relations Agency vs. Independent Publicist. 

What are the expectations of a public relations campaign? So often, PR agencies provide vague sets of expectations. Wondering what’s going to happen during a public relations campaign with MAVPR? Check out What to expect from a Public Relations Campaign.

Why does Public Relations have minimum retainers? For those curious about how publicist set their minimums, read through Why Public Relations Retainers Have Minimums. 

How does a publicist actually get results? You follow your publicist on Instagram and damn, she socializes a lot during the workday. Learn how it all fits into place in What does your publicist actually do?

Why wasn’t the article I was mentioned in exactly how I imagined in when I was interviewed? You talked with a journalist for 50 minutes and they included a ten-word quote in an article; you sent in 15 hrs of b-roll for a 45 second clip. These are just one of many Things a Publicist Cannot Control.

Why didn’t I see any results in the first month of PR? You spent a hefty first-month’s retainer – surely New York Times wants to profile you by now… right?? Learn more about Why does Public Relations take so long?

Does a slow month mean my campaign is failing? Public relations is typically at the mercy of editorial calendars and seasonal conversations. In terms of published articles, A slow month of coverage does not equal a bad PR Campaign. 

Why wasn’t I given photo credit for a photo I helped create? You modeled or took a photo for a brand and when your image is in Forbes, you’re not credited. Why wasn’t I credited for my photo in that article?

Where is that article I was quoted in? Connected to a journalist for a story opp and wondering where it is? Here’s how to find out when it was published - Where is the story I was included in?

Other helpful links: 
Types of Coverage reviews the different types of coverage that can arise from a public relations campaign. 

A Running Glossary of PR Terms helps decipher commonly used terms by public relations pros. 

The Pre-PR Checklist guides brands through everything you need to kick off a PR campaign with a bang. 

Importance of Sharing Media Coverage provides tips on social media driven media relations. 

By Melissa A Vitale
 
There are days I think a tattoo on my forehead “Public relations is the least immediate of all marketing” would make my life so much easier. Because public relations hinders on placing clients in existing and forthcoming editorial coverage without advertising budgets, press coverage comes when the opportunities align with the brand’s expertise and mission. Unlike social media which can lead to traffic in a matter of weeks, or digital advertising which can drive sales in days, public relations can take months before there are any results in the form of published stories.
 
There are rare publicists who promise results that never arise but rack up months of retainers before the brand severs the deal. It’s for this reason PR can get a murky rep as being one of those industries where investment can be a gamble.
 
After three years, I’ve nailed down what a concrete set of expectations of brands can expect upon working with my brand of public relations over the course of a campaign.
 
Please note, all PR agencies and freelancers are different and this summary only applies with certainty to MAVPR’s Public Relations Campaigns.
 
First Month
Your first month of PR is heavy with confirming messaging. You’ll want to allow your publicist a reasonable amount of time to plan for how they want to position the brand. MAVPR takes about 2-4 weeks to draft a messaging book (a typically 4-8 page document with all the brand’s storylines, spokesperson topics of expertise, bios, boiler plates, etc) during which time we start to introduce a brand to our close contacts to get a sense of the media appetite for the brand, and which areas will draw the most buzz. By the end of the first month, a brand will be introduced to key media and will have months-worth of press storylines that will be turned into countless pitches over the coming months. In the case of buzzworthy brands, must-have product and in-demand expertise, press opportunities may come through in the first month but its more common that the first published stories come in the second month.
 
Second Month
The second month you're seeing the opportunities come in. Depending on how quickly the campaign was able to mobilize, you'll have pending placements, and loads of pending interest. There are potential opportunities and there are opportunities that should be coming out in the coming weeks. Thanks to editorial delays, there may still not be any published coverage by month two, but you know that there is coverage coming ad have an idea of what it looks like. By this time, you may have been interviewed, provided a quote or may have sent some samples for a specific story consideration. 
 
Third Month
By now you’ve gotten your first published press with your publicist. The press opportunities are starting to be more regular.  

Of course if you had a newsworthy announcement in the first three months, these expectations are different with a full feature, potentially a wire release (brand decision) and ensuing pickup the month of the announcement. 
 
Months 4-6
By now coverage is starting to appear steady. You should be getting at least two placements per month at this point and it can range upwards of 5-8 placements a month depending on the brand’s industry, products available and areas of expertise. There are probably even repeat opportunities from the same journalist or editor.
 
Months 6-12
After 6 months the brand should be hitting the expectations of the account each month. MAVPR’s expectations range between 2-6 and 2-15 placements per month (retainer dependent). This time you usually see more standalone stories than inclusion and commentary.
 
After 6 months, be aware that a month with less coverage compared to the month previous does not mean the PR campaign is failing. Some months, editors need to hold certain topics to continue to drive traffic to those topics in the coming months, especially if they are planning a seasonal push on a certain topic. As long as an account is falling within expectations of an account the public relations account is still progressing even with a slow month.
 
By this time, you’ll have at least doubled your investment when measured in the amount of ad value your campaign has earned.
 
After 12 months
Your PR campaign hasn’t just gained momentum, it has a life of its own. Not only are there fresh stories being initiated by your publicist, but you’re also getting incoming requests from press who have mentioned or considered the brand previously. The ad value return for this time can be as high as sixteen times the investment. Some clients have seen over 1000% of returns of ad vale compared to their monthly retainer.
 
Every subsequent year
When brands engage in public relations years at a time, they are not only introduced to new editors, they also are kept on the radar of journalists who have written about them in the past. Therefore, press typically doubles in volume for every year you engage with public relations. My client who has been with me since early 2017 has seen over $570,000 in earned ad value so far for the year, by July 2020 with a potential 1.5 billion consumer reach.  
 
The longer a PR campaign and the more hours put into publicity efforts, the more editors and journalists who are introduced to a brand and the more editorial opportunities that arise with the brand already in mind. Its wiser to strategically introduce a brand to journalists as the company’s developments align with their area of coverage.
 
Continued media relations momentum and strategy ensures that a brand stays on the radar of key press with fresh stories and topics that editors want to greenlight.
 

​By Melissa A Vitale
 
If you’ve ever had a publicist or anyone strongly urge sharing of a coverage you’re included in, you may have asked yourself “is sharing media coverage important?
 
Listen, there are absolutely no rules that you have to share media coverage that includes you. Just like there are absolutely no rules that you need to send a thank you note when someone gives you a gift.
 
However, it can be beneficial to not only share the article on your personal and brand’s social media and tag the journalist who wrote the article.
 
First and foremost, sharing an article with your audience can keep them updated with the recent praise of the company. Many social media followers for brands are potential customers, not current customers. A rave review from media can be the turning point in the purchase decision-making process. While press is never measured in sales, press when used in a strategic marketing funnel utilizing social media can drive more sales than social media on its own without coverage. For avid fans of the brand, a glowing review of a brand by an industry thought leader can be something that they share to their audiences to showcase their support.
 
The sharing and subsequent resharing of an article doesn’t just boost your traffic, it also drives traffic for the journalist and media outlet. If the writer is a freelancer, this can help them win future commissions, citing high share-rates and reader traffic as a competitive advantage. Some staff writers have quotas for social shares that they need to meet monthly, or internal competitions for article views. Therefore, sharing the article can help the publication and writer who mentioned the brand as much as the brand itself.
 
When you share an article you’re mentioned in, it’s recommended you mention the journalist and publication in the share. This drives social traffic to their platforms and can also help build media relations between a brand and a journalist.
 
When you receive a hand-written note for a trinket you picked up thinking of someone, you’re more likely to repeat the act again the next time something they’ll like catches your eye. While it’s not mandatory to share a media article, sharing the article can build goodwill with writers who may be inclined to mention a brand again if another relevant topic arises.