It’s St George’s day today, thought also to be poet and playwright William Shakespeare’s birthday too. (He died on his birthday too…fun fact!)
Little did he know that his wise words could be words of wisdom for the PR world four centuries on, but there you have it!
Here’s a little selection from his works that are worth bearing in mind for your own PR & Marketing!
“This, above all; listen to thine own self to be true.” – Hamlet.
Don’t lie is the message – keep to the facts and be truthful. Lying in your PR is never a good idea – because you’re then selling something that doesn’t exist…and you’ll get found out pretty quickly. The fall-out from that can be very damaging – loss of trust, poor reputation and even a failed venture.
“An honest tale speeds best, being plainly.” – King Richard III.
Keep it simple and get to the point. Not many people have time to read War and Peace to find out about a product and you won’t find many fans of waffle, or flannel as we say in PR. Keep it simple. Which leads me onto the next quote.
“Brevity is the soul of wit” – Hamlet.
Keep it brief, keep it simple, avoid all jargon and just let your audience know what it is and how it will help them. Focus on outcomes – what will they gain from your product or service?
“I cannot tell what the dickens his name is.” – The Merry Wives of Windsor.
No-one is that merry if their company can’t be remembered – make sure your brand stands out that people remember you…for the right reasons! A great cue here, to take a look at your LinkedIn profile and think to yourself if you’re happy to be found on there or would prefer people didn’t see it!
“Nothing will come of nothing.” – King Lear.
If you do nothing on the PR & Marketing front, you won’t get much back in the way of sales and recognition. If you have a great service or product, you’ll need to tell people about it. Social media, editorials, advertising, networking, speaker opportunities, events etc…take your pick and plan.
“Wisely & slow – they stumble that run fast.” – Romeo & Juliet.
PR should not be loaded up and dispersed with a scattergun mentality. It should not also, be all or nothing! Planned and careful execution is needed!
“I’ll not budge and inch.” – The Taming of the Shrew
Anyone who can’t adapt to change when it comes to marketing will indeed, not budge an inch. They’ll most likely stay exactly as they are, wondering why no-one wants their fabulous services or products!
“Strong reasons make strong actions.” – King John
Measure – and use the reports to guide your future marketing. Know what you want to achieve from your efforts and measure to see if you got there. Tweak and change may be required!
“How far that little candle throws his beams!” – The Merchant of Venice
Marketing is like a jigsaw – various small bits pieced together to form the bigger picture. Don’t underestimate the small tasks – they have an impact.
“How poor are they that they have not patience?” – Othello
PR & Marketing is a long game. There are ‘quick wins’ but generally, the art of patience is required, along with consistency and repetition.
And there you have it – a whistle-stop tour but some food for thought. (A quote from another poet, Robert Southey’s A Tale of Paraguay. He was just 15 years younger than Shakespeare too!)
