Personal Branding & Crisis Management in a Digital World

Puds & Co podcast featuring Ariatu PR founder, Ronke Lawal discussing the importance of personal branding and crisis management in the digital age.

In today’s interconnected and fast-paced digital world, personal branding and crisis management are more crucial than ever for entrepreneurs, creatives, and professionals. Whether you are building a thriving business, pursuing artistic success, or climbing the professional ladder, the way you present yourself online can define your opportunities and reputation. Understanding how to craft an authentic personal brand while being prepared to handle crises effectively is essential for sustained success.

Personal branding is not just a buzzword; it is the intentional cultivation of your unique identity and value proposition. In a crowded digital landscape, people need to know who you are, what you stand for, and why they should trust you. The essence of a strong personal brand lies in authenticity. It’s about communicating your values, passions, and expertise consistently across all platforms, from social media to your website and beyond. For entrepreneurs, this can mean aligning your personal values with your business mission, creating a synergy that fosters trust with clients and customers. For creatives, it might involve showcasing your artistic journey and unique perspective, inviting your audience into a narrative they can connect with. Professionals can leverage personal branding to position themselves as thought leaders, making their expertise known and accessible in their industries.

Building a personal brand in the digital age requires a blend of strategy and creativity. It begins with self-reflection—understanding your core values, strengths, and aspirations. Once you are clear about who you are, the next step is to communicate that identity consistently. This includes creating content that resonates with your audience, engaging in meaningful conversations, and leveraging platforms that align with your goals. For instance, LinkedIn is excellent for professionals aiming to establish credibility in their industries, while Instagram or TikTok might be better suited for creatives looking to showcase their craft. Whichever platforms you choose, consistency in tone, visual aesthetics, and messaging is key to building trust and recognition.

While personal branding can propel your career or business to new heights, the digital world also poses risks to your reputation. This is where crisis management comes into play. A crisis can take many forms—a negative review, a controversial social media post, or even a more significant reputational scandal. How you handle these moments can make or break the personal brand you have worked so hard to build.

The first step in effective crisis management is preparation. Even if your online presence is meticulously managed, no one is immune to mistakes, misunderstandings, or malicious attacks. Having a clear strategy for addressing issues can save you from spiraling into a reputational nightmare. This includes monitoring your digital footprint regularly, so you’re aware of what’s being said about you, and having a network of trusted advisors or PR professionals who can guide you in a crisis.

When a crisis does arise, swift and authentic communication is crucial. Ignoring a problem or responding defensively often exacerbates the situation. Instead, acknowledge the issue, take responsibility where necessary, and clearly outline the steps you’re taking to resolve it. This demonstrates integrity and accountability, qualities that can actually strengthen your brand in the long term. Transparency is your ally in rebuilding trust with your audience.

It’s also important to control the narrative. The digital world moves quickly, and misinformation can spread like wildfire. By addressing issues directly on your own platforms, you can ensure your perspective reaches your audience first. For entrepreneurs, this might mean posting an open letter to customers or clarifying company policies. Creatives might use their art to respond thoughtfully, while professionals could publish an in-depth statement or video addressing concerns.

In the end, personal branding and crisis management are two sides of the same coin. A strong personal brand can provide a buffer during challenging times, as people are more likely to give the benefit of the doubt to someone they trust. Conversely, a well-managed crisis can enhance your personal brand by showcasing your resilience and commitment to growth.

The digital world offers incredible opportunities to define yourself and connect with others on your terms. By prioritizing authenticity, staying prepared for crises, and addressing challenges with integrity, entrepreneurs, creatives, and professionals can not only build powerful personal brands but also ensure those brands endure through the ups and downs of the online landscape.

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Why a PR Strategy is an Essential Part of Long Term Business Success

Public Relations is a long term investment which can pay dividends when undertaken strategically, however all too often businesses and entrepreneurs overlook its immense power. 

Here are a few reasons why a PR strategy is an essential part of long term business success:

• Crisis management: PR can save brands from potential crises which could have an enduring impact on brands' reputations. With a crisis management strategy in place a business can react effectively if a crisis does take place, ensuring that reputation damage is limited and kept to a minimum.

• Lifetime relationships: In a digital era, now more than ever brand loyalty is not as guaranteed as it once was. Consumers and customers are more aware than ever before of alternative service/product providers and so a quality PR strategy is even more important now to at least maintain "lifetime trust". Whilst your customers might opt to try your competitors they will at least always have in mind that they can trust your brand regardless of their reasons from moving to a competitor.

• Internal communications: A quality PR strategy will cover internal communications, ensuring that all internal team members understand the process of brand awareness and strategic goals.

• Media relations: Understanding what the media wants and how to engage with the media is an essential part of a quality strategy. This means that a business can be proactive as well as responsive and reactive as news cycles change. A business should be able to maintain a consistent amount of media coverage, either harnessing trends in the press or using relevant brand updates to gain press attention. With a strategic plan in place, media relations becomes a long term goal rather than a one off activity.

• Understanding the digital space: Social media has become an essential part of public relations. Businesses with strategic thinking should be able to have a consistent social media structure and plan in place. Understanding which social media platforms to use, how to use them and how social media can raise business visibility should not be overlooked as part of a long term PR plan.

Strategy is of course nothing without implementation, businesses must use strategic planning to ensure action and subsequently results within their PR processes. 

For more information on how Ariatu PR can help contact us.

Why Working With a Black PR Professional Matters

Working with a Black publicist in the UK can offer numerous benefits and insights, particularly when it comes to understanding and effectively navigating Black British culture in the context of public relations.  A Black publicist is most likely to have a deeper understanding of Black British culture, including its traditions, values, and sensitivities. This knowledge is crucial in developing PR strategies that resonate with the target audience and avoid cultural missteps or misunderstandings.  There have been so many instances where I have seen unnecessary PR crises occur because the teams behind the PR campaigns have very little understanding of cultural diversity due to cultural insensitivity or lack of awareness. Hiring Black PR talent or hiring a Black publicist can help mitigate these risks by providing cultural insights and guiding the team toward more informed decision-making. With the caveat that Black British communities are not a monolith - a good publicist/PR professional will know that there are a variety of African and Caribbean diasporan communities with their own unique experiences, cultures and traditions. 

In terms of representation of brands, particularly brands and public figures with primarily white audiences, Black publicists can provide authentic representation and perspectives within the media and PR campaigns. They can ensure that diverse voices are heard and that the portrayal of Black public figures and communities is accurate and respectful.

I love networking - not necessarily the act of networking but of the impact it can have on our relationship building and widening our community circles. As a Black PR professional/publicist I have built an extensive network within the Black British business and media community. These connections have been invaluable when planning events, securing media coverage, or partnering with influencers or community leaders. This is something that many other Black colleagues in the sector have on also benefited from in their own experience. 

A Black publicist/PR Professional with their fingers on the pulse can keep their clients informed about the latest trends, issues, and discussions within Black British communities. Staying up-to-date with these insights is essential for creating relevant and timely campaigns that speak to Black diasporan audiences.  Black PR pros can use these insights to develop strategies that resonate with audiences, leading to increased engagement and positive brand perception.

In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on diversity and inclusion in the corporate world. Working with a Black publicist demonstrates a commitment to GENUINE inclusivity and can help companies avoid tokenism and greenwashing. Organisations like BME PR Pros and UK Black Comms network are also part of the progressive leadership disrupting the PR industry to drive genuine and tangible change.

Black publicists can help bring attention to positive stories and accomplishments within the Black British communities. This can help counter stereotypes and promote a more accurate representation of Black people and their contributions to wider society. That is not to say that our role is not to help share the truth; there are stories that need to be told even if they make people uncomfortable but Black PR pros can at least provide balanced perspectives when working with the media and undertaking media relations campaigns.

Working with a Black publicist in the UK can lead to more culturally sensitive, relevant, and successful public relations campaigns. Our insights and expertise in navigating Black British culture can help companies foster genuine connections with diverse audiences while promoting inclusivity and understanding.

Learn more about the services that Ariatu PR offers in engaging with Black British Communities here. 

3 Business Problems that Public Relations can solve

Business owners may face Public Relations and communications problems on a day to day basis, many are straight forward and some are a little more complicated. Before I get into the problems let me get back to basics:
"What is PR?"
It's funny because I get asked this question more often than I care to admit and whilst to me it's very simple and straightforward to many business owners looking to hire a PR agency there are blurred definitions that cause confusion and disappointment. I think one of the best definitions that I have found is this via the CIPR: “Public Relations is the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of earning understanding and support and influencing opinion and behaviour. It is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics.”

In PR reputation is KEY - it is the very foundation of what PR is and is relevant not only in business but in the political and even individual personal branding landscape.

Here are 3 problems that PR can help to solve, although it might not be able to fix every single business problem these are a few of the key ones that PR can help to resolve if implemented correctly:

Weak Brand Reputation: Sometimes a company's reputation can start to falter, this could be for an array of reasons but usually it's due to ineffective communication between the customer and the brand itself. With a consistent and unified approach, Public Relations can really help to maintain the brand reputation of a company and/or entrepreneur. The ability to ensure that the brand reputation of a business is held to high regard can really make the difference between high levels of customer retention and low brand loyalty. Use PR to share good news stories and communicate best practice to the customer base and the wider community.

Social Media Crisis: In the social media age, how a business copes with a PR crisis is now more important than ever before. It can take just a few hours for a business to start trending for all of the wrong reasons and without a PR crisis management strategy in place the damage to a company's brand may appear to be irreparable.

Poor Customer Services: The media is now more accessible than ever before, journalists frequently seek interesting news stories via social media and members of the public also approach media outlets directly when they have had a poor customer services experience. PR can be used to improve communication between the customer and the business. Negative feedback can be used to create a change within a business and also improve the relationship it has with it's customers.

These are just 3 problems that PR can help solve but of course it should not be used in isolation. Every member of your business team should seek to help resolve any issues that your business faces and if you're a sole trader then take the time to really focus on what needs to be done to fix your problems.

A useful video on how PR can help small businesses:

(Originally published on http://www.ronkelawal.com/2016/02/problems-that-pr-can-solve.html)

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Why Press Releases are Still Relevant for Small Businesses

There are some parties that argue that the press release is dead and whilst it’s not the be all and end all of telling your business story it is still useful and relevant when publicising your business stories. In my eGuide - How to Write a Press Release and Get Press Coverage for Your Business I show business owners how to write a release but in this piece I wanted to share why they’re relevant in the first place. A press release is an official summary document providing insight and information into a story, update, launch or announcement relevant to an organisation.

Press releases help small businesses gain visibility and reach a broader audience. When a business story is summarised using a release and then pitched to relevant media outlets it can attract the attention of journalists, producers, editors, bloggers, and influencers who may be interested in covering the story. Compared to traditional advertising or marketing campaigns, using a  press release as part of a PR media relations campaign can get traction for a story in an “earned” fashion, i.e. an editorial decision has been made rather than an invoice has been paid to feature the business. So it can be a relatively inexpensive way to raise awareness of the business. This makes releases an attractive option for businesses with limited budgets. As we know there are no guarantees that your story will be featured; you have to be mindful of the fact that your story not only has to be newsworthy but it also has to be timely; however the process of using a release can help engage relevant media.

Press releases enhance the credibility of small businesses by presenting their information in a professional and structured format. When published by reputable media sources, it adds a level of trust and legitimacy to the business, especially for potential customers, investors, and partners. But even if the story contained within the press release doesn’t get featured by the press it is useful for content creation and internal communications for the business itself. As mentioned, if we look at press releases in terms of content they can improve a small business online presence and search engine optimization (SEO) through digital PR tactics. When optimised with relevant keywords and distributed through online channels, press releases can generate backlinks to a business website, improve search engine rankings, and increase organic traffic.

One of the most important purposes of a press release is the way in which they allow small businesses to craft their own narrative and share their unique story. They can highlight new product launches, innovative solutions, awards, partnerships, community involvement, or other notable achievements. By telling a compelling story, businesses can captivate media attention, engage their target audiences and solidify their reputations. 

You don’t have to write a full press release to get your messages across to relevant stakeholders and audiences like direct emails, social media and video content but press releases are  still relevant, their effectiveness can be enhanced by integrating them into a comprehensive PR strategy that includes social media, content marketing, and other promotional activities. As long as you have a story to tell then a release is a great way of getting your messaging across and communicating your brand narrative effectively.

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