Go to your business’s news page. What media placements are listed? Are they more than a couple months old? If so, this article is for you.
WHAT IS GHOST PR SYNDROME?
Ghost PR Syndrome is when the media hasn’t mentioned your brand any
time in the last month, and it’s killing your business’s reputation.
HOW IS GHOST PR SYNDROME DANGEROUS?
1. YOU’RE HELPING THE COMPETITION:
Not being actively in the media gives your competition a chance. When customers are conducting research for your type of product or service, they’re more likely to favor brands that have a variety of positive, credible media endorsements. If your brand isn’t current, you’re missing out on potential customers and revenue. The same is true for
nonprofits looking for donors.
2. YOU DON’T CARE ABOUT YOUR APPEARANCE:
Relying on old PR placements shows that staying relevant isn’t important to your brand. When media placements for a brand are more than a month or two old, it’s the same as wearing dirty laundry to work; it looks bad, people notice, and no one will tell you.
3. YOU’RE WASTING SEO OPPORTUNITIES:
One of the number one ways people research new products is online, and media placements are a great way to drive SEO for your brand. If you’re not actively getting your share of media placements, your brand is missing some meaningful web-traffic.
4. YOU’RE CRIPPLING YOUR SALES TEAM OR DONOR RELATIONS TEAM:
Sure great salespeople can sell “anything” but if you have Ghost PR Syndrome, your forcing your team to trot out the same horse time, after time, trying to sell to leads, who are becoming more and more familiar with the competition. Current media placements can go a long way to lending credibility to your product and that can speed-up and unburden your sales team.
5. YOU’RE ISOLATING YOUR CUSTOMERS OR DONORS:
Lack of PR makes current customers and donors less confident in the best of times and more skeptical if they have a problem. Hanging out with the “cool kids” is still a thing. Even if you have won brand advocates and they’ve been with you for a long time, they may decide to go with the competition if the news is raving about how wonderful a similar brand is. For brand advocates who’ve had a problem, (as long as that problem is handled in a favorable way), positive media stories can help them have faith in your brand while their problem is sorted out, leading them to believe that their issue is isolated, and not the tip of the iceberg of doom for your brand.
IS GHOST PR SYNDROME PREVENTABLE?
Yes. You need to make PR a priority for your brand. Work with a firm that understands your desire to stay relevant in your market. Talk with a number of firms who represent brands of a similar size and industry to yours. Talk with fellow founders, executives, and colleagues and ask who they recommend. You can overcome Ghost PR Syndrome and get your brand back on track.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
If you want your brand to stand out, attract new customers or donors, and stay relevant, active PR should be one of the most-valuable, most-used tools in your marketing toolbox.
