There is, as a matter of fact such a thing as bad PR not just as bad publicity, but also the way PR is executed.
Bad PR is doing the complete opposite of the definition of PR. It means that it is having a communications strategy that doesn’t have a plan, procedure, strategy, or any kind of purpose. Some things that are very common issues that arise through bad PR:
Poor timing: Timing is very important when it comes to creating any media to promote a brand or business. A lot of the time, specialists and people doing the press releases do not pay attention to what exists in the market and when the best timing will be to publish.
Poor choice of language: When it comes to writing press releases, try to keep the language simple enough because jargon and buzzwords do not impress media outlets and editors who have very little time to read what comes across their desk. You need to appeal to them and use language that they understand.
Poorly written press releases: The whole point of a press release is to grab the attention of your readers, get to the point you are trying to make quickly, and to follow up with information about the event or activity. Error, omissions, lengthy pitches, and poor structure can be some of the reasons why press releases are overlooked and thrown away.
Poor follow-up: If you want to make sure that you get the full public relations experience and get heard, you need to make sure that you are prepared for any follow-up questions that may be asked if someone calls. Many businesses tend to lose potential clients because they are not prepared.
Too much hype: Avoid generalizations and exaggerations when appealing to the news media. You want to be positive, so supply them with supported facts and avoid superlatives because they can get tedious and can cause readers to get suspicious.
Press releases with purpose: It is important that businesses only send out press releases when there is something major to announce. Much like the boy you cried wolf, you don’t want to send out releases every time there is only a small development in your business. This is negative for businesses because if people get annoyed by the amount that you send out when something really important actually happens, they might just hit delete.
Not knowing what is going on: It is important that you research what is going on around you and in your target market before you send out your press release. Do your research before anything so that you know when the ideal time is to post.
Lack of plan: Businesses cannot achieve successful PR without a plan. You need to figure out where, what, when, why, and how about everything that you wish to accomplish. It is also important to create more than one plan just in case the first one does not go how you intended.
Not thinking outside the box: There are so many different ways to reach out and generate attention for your business. If you stick to just one way, you may never be able to reach your full potential.
Bad PR can also come about when businesses take the “me first” approach. They need to understand that there needs to be a significant relationship between businesses and media outlets. It needs to be a give and take relationship rather than a selfish one.
