In the fast-paced world of marketing and social media, mistakes can be easily made – but with meticulous planning and a strategic approach, many can be mitigated or even avoided entirely. Many PR mistakes stem from a lack of understanding about how PR works and what it can do for brands. PR is not as some may assume “ free advertising”, frivolous media relations or blasting a press release to a list of cold contacts – none of these drive good results. PR is a very effective tool for aesthetics, beauty, and wellness brands who want to build their reputations in a hyper-competitive industry and influence, engage and motivate their target audiences – from consumers, to suppliers, the media and influencers.
In this article, our beauty PR experts discuss 9 PR mistakes that are regularly made by aesthetics, beauty, and wellness brands so that you can bear them in mind when planning your PR strategy.
The role of PR in the aesthetics, beauty, and wellness industry
The key role of PR is to build and maintain a positive brand reputation. An effective PR strategy can also fulfil many goals for brands, these include:
- Building trust and visibility amongst target audiences of customers, suppliers, the media, employees, and more.
- Establishing a clear position in a marketplace amongst competitors.
- Nurturing authentic relationships with target audiences to boost brand loyalty and engagement.
- Driving sales and profit.
In crowded industries like aesthetics, beauty, and wellness there are many voices shouting to be heard, but a brand which recognises the value of PR, and invests in a consistent PR and communications strategy, can expect to reap all of the above!
The negative impact of PR mistakes
A poor PR strategy can have many negative consequences – from poor visibility and sluggish sales, to customer dissatisfaction and media backlashes. For example, some brand owners simply blast a PR release to a list of cold media contacts and later dismiss PR as a poor business tool because they never secured a coveted and influential media placement.
However, if your brand isn’t featured in Vogue this month, or a social media influencer isn’t talking about your latest product, we can guarantee that another brand is and they are enjoying the benefits discussed earlier. The reason your competitor is able to win such great PR is because they have invested in and deployed an effective PR strategy.
PR mistakes equal missed opportunities for brands and unfortunately, these opportunities will be seized by your competition to fuel their commercial success.
9 common PR mistakes to avoid in the beauty industry
PR mistakes are common and they can significantly limit the PR potential and future success of your brand. Here are 9 PR mistakes we see too frequently in the aesthetics, beauty, and wellness industry and we highly recommend that you avoid them:
1 Misunderstanding PR: PR is not free advertising, it’s strategic and meticulously planned to deliver a specific of goals i.e. build a reputation as the market leader in scientific skincare. PR is “earned” media and one of the most credible ways to promote your brand, by influencing what others are saying about it. If you have no PR experience, always consult with a PR agency to discuss your goals and understand how they could add value to your business.
2 Rushing to get the word out: Timing is key within a successful PR campaign and it’s common for brand owners to be too eager to get the word out before you’re fully prepared. Ensure your website and social channels are operational and effective, that sales channels are open and ready. Spend time developing your brand voice and USPs, and be confident that your key messages will resonate with your target audiences.
3 Occasional PR activities: PR is not a pick-up and drop activity, slow and steady wins the race – especially over a longer period of time. Plan your PR budget beyond an initial 6 months if you want to consistently experience good results.
4 No media relations: Building media relationships takes time and sending mass emails or invitations to a list of media contacts is unlikely to deliver results. You need to understand the needs of journalists, research the right media for your brand and build a plan that delivers targeted and personal comms. Utilising existing relationships via an agency is advantageous particularly in the aesthetics, beauty, and wellness industry where there are hundreds of brands vying for media attention.
5 Targeting the wrong audiences: Don’t waste time or money targeting audiences who are not interested in your brand. Before you embark on any PR campaign, conduct adequate research to clearly define your target audience and focus your efforts to only target them.
6 Only targeting big media: Whilst it’s great to have big goals that include being featured in the biggest media titles, it’s wise to build a foundation with smaller and more niche publishers too. Why? If you have zero reputation it will be much harder to secure coverage amongst big media. Invest time researching all media to open up more opportunities for your brand.
7 Giving up: When a brand doesn’t see immediate results they are often quick to give up on their PR campaign. PR is a dynamic and competitive industry, there is a lot of noise to cut through to gain the attention of journalists and influencers. Don’t get disheartened when your products or views are not featured, try again with another angle or something new. A steady and consistent approach will help to build trust and a media relationship which in turn will deliver coverage.
8 Appointing the wrong PR agency: Trying to work with the wrong PR partner can be stressful, time consuming, expensive, and disheartening. Finding the right PR agency for your beauty brand is key to delivering the results you want to see as they will deliver strategic counsel and creative PR campaigns that get your brand noticed. Choose an agency with proven results in your industry and meet before you commit to check the chemistry is there.
9 Lack of a story: No news, stating the obvious, or being too promotional are all big mistakes in PR. Having a compelling story or tip to share is the best way to create some PR. When you crafting your pitch make it compelling, inspiring, useful, and informative to readers – and have 2-3 stories running at a time to increase your chances of engaging the media.
How to avoid PR mistakes
The only way to avoid PR mistakes is to plan, plan, and plan some more! Here are some best practise PR pointers to improve your PR activity:
- Be prepared: Your PR team should always be prepared and ready to pitch at a moment’s notice should a PR opportunity arise, ensure key people are fully briefed on your brand’s core and current messages.
- Start early: Don’t start your PR activities too late – plan your activities well in advance of media deadlines and your brand deadlines i.e. event or product launch date.
- Seek approval: Every piece of content that is shared with the media needs to be approved by the relevant people. Inaccurate content can be very harmful to a brand’s reputation.
- Devise a PR strategy: Organise your ideas and research into an effective PR strategy or plan that can deliver your goals. A winning PR strategy is full of exciting and engaging content and will deploy a tactical and strategic mix of traditional and digital PR activities.
Book a discovery call with our beauty PR experts
There is no better time to consider how you can start building media relations and getting a head start with your PR strategy – the sooner you start the sooner you will reap the rewards!
At Kendrick PR, our expert team consistently create winning formulas of strategic and tactical support for premium beauty aesthetics, beauty, and wellness brands with clear ambitions for growth. Founded in 2015 by award-winning communications expert Julia Kendrick, Kendrick PR are a passionate and experienced agency who thrive on creating tangible success for every client. Please browse our PR services portfolio or do get in touch to book a complimentary discovery call with us!