“I feel like we’re saying the same thing over and over.”
This is something we hear a lot from our clients. And it’s a valid concern. No one wants to be banging on about the same thing forever. That being said, you’d be surprised how important repetition is when it comes to PR.
PR is all about spreading and emphasising your key messages. That means repeating the message more than once and in more than one place.
What might feel like a simple and obvious thing to you – a message that forms the very basis of your business and the problem it solves – is likely not as obvious to the wider industry, hence why your business exists, right? Though it may feel redundant to you internally, externally it’s those very messages that you need to repeat. That’s how you become known and that’s what you become known for.
For example, at Carnsight Communications, we’re always talking about how important PR is for your business. Even more specifically, we’re always talking about why PR is so important for SMEs. We’re always repeating that message, and we repeat it because that’s what we do and what we want to be known for. There are number of key messages we push:
- PR and Small/Medium Size Businesses – why it’s important and why it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg
- The importance of local and trade press – why businesses shouldn’t be ignoring it
- The importance of flexible working
- etc, etc
They’re not revolutionary ideas, especially not for us internally, but they’re messages our target clients need to hear and be reminded of. And we have our own special take on them, our own expertise and insights.
There will definitely come a time when you need to vary your messaging, but I can almost guarantee that that time will come much later than you think. Also, evergreen content will always be needed and this is where your key messages can come in yet again.
Revolutionary, unique and groundbreaking comments and takes are fantastic. Of course, we love those in PR! But they’re rare by their very nature – and there’s nothing wrong with that. There’s no such thing as an original idea, right? We’re all building on those that came before us.
Sometimes it’s not about saying something that’s never been said before, it’s about saying something well and in enough ways to reach someone new and have it resonate.