Photo by Roman Kraft
By Virginia Scripps
In public relations, our days are filled with crafting stories around the creative, groundbreaking or brilliant things our clients do. We strive to give their projects meticulous forethought on tone, storytelling nuggets, key images, background tidbits and anything else we can engineer to make a story better and land the larger strategy. Pondering potential sensitivities in the audience, cautioning clients to steer clear when it looks like they could “step in it”, encouraging executives to aim for that very high accolade you feel they have a small but very real chance of landing – it’s all part of a day’s work in PR. Thinking of others is what we do, in a profoundly good way, and those born to do this job crush it on a daily basis.
However… marketing myself and my own company with the same kind of zeal is something that is initially met with… cringe. In order to explain this irony, I’ll share the irrational thoughts that make promoting our own companies – with the same kind of effort we bestow on clients – so cringeworthy:
“Our brand isn’t about us, it’s about our clients!”
Note the exclamation point. Have you heard this one in your head or exclaimed it out loud? If so, you are a reluctant self-marketer. You may secretly pride yourself on your edgy, behind-the-scenes persona, but honestly – cut it out. Your company and your team deserve the same high standards that you laser focus on clients. So when it comes to that crisp and well-thought-out new website, that searingly honest new USP, aspirational awards entry, or creating bios for your team that do not have years of accumulated dust, go ahead and prioritize this work. It’s bad for business to remain a best-kept secret.
“Who has time for promoting ourselves?”
Failing to work on your own brand is the kiss of death, plain and simple.
“Our results speak for themselves – we don’t need bragging rights.”
You hit it out of the park for clients to garner huge boosts in visibility, reputation and industry buzz. Bask in the glow of making that energy happen, but: your own shop deserves the same caliber of love. As awkward as it may feel, the world deserves to know your story. Even if recounting a success feels like bragging – take the time to tell your own story.
“No one cares.”
Our dire fear of turning out anything boring is a valued super power. But when it comes to promoting the work we do and taking the time to document our successes, this fear becomes misaligned. Once we get past the cringe, we can find interesting narratives around what we do that will offer valuable insights to readers.