Many of our clients in the PR and marketing space come to us looking to get media attention and bolster their clients’ visibility.To better serve our own clients, we do our best to stay in the loop on current industry trends.

To that end, I recently read an enlightening perspective on how the PR and marketing industry is changing in the new book, Spin Sucks, by Gini Dietrich (inspired by the blog of the same name).At Lab42, we agree that spin sucks, which is why we encourage our clients to use data and insights in their pitches, both for media and new business. Not only does data validate your client’s story–it also gives reporters fresh content to work with.The book is full of actionable best practices for the changing landscape and includes several examples to illustrate those practices.

Here are my top three takeaways from Spin Sucks. I chose these with PR firms (and their clients) in mind, but these practices really apply to all businesses:

1. Your brand is how customers feel about you. Your client’s brand is how they want to be perceived by their customers, whether it’s through messaging, social media presence, or a website. But if you aren’t cognizant of how your client’s customers really feel, things can go awry quickly, which leads us to…

2. Understand what your customers think about you. When was the last time you spoke to your client’s actual customers about why they buy from them and why they choose them over a competitor? You or your client may think you know these things, but we guarantee you’ll gain new insight into your clients’ customers by asking them directly.

3. Be pro-active about what you can control. When it comes to media relations, you can’t really control the situation. But what you can control is how much research you put into a pitch and if that pitch supports and validates your client’s message.

If you’re looking for a little more info, check out the book preview below or buy the book here!