Should media relations wait during election season?

Every four years, public relations professionals have a choice: Tell our non-political clients that they’re not likely to get major earned media until after the election, or hide the truth to make a few bucks. In 2020, the issue looms even larger, and your clients deserve to know that getting a big hit simply must wait unless they’re talking about SCOTUS, COVID-19, racial issues, the economy—or, of course, the election.

This conversation has the potential to earn real trust with clients and build a long-term relationship. It also has the potential to scare a client into hiring someone else. Though it might not be easy, it could be best to allow those clients interested only in the short-term to go elsewhere. They’re not focused on long-term goal planning and may have other issues like limited budgets which would make them a difficult client.

You’ll miss their money now, but not the headaches later.

Wise clients will appreciate your forthrightness. They’ll appreciate your solutions even more, if you advise:

Go local

They say all politics is local, and the same is true for getting in the press. Companies with geographic target markets should literally go local. Area news outlets are on the lookout for positive news that benefits their target markets.