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Branding · Published September 25, 2014

Ronn Torossian
Founder & Chairman, 5W

Become Unforgettable: The Simplest Ways to Make the Best of Personal PR

personal public relations strategy for building a strong brand reputation
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Public relations is crucial for all businesses, large and small. You don’t necessarily have to hire a PR firm to handle this for you. Everyone, including solo entrepreneurs, must find ways to generate positive publicity in today’s competitive marketplace. Learning how to effectively brand yourself as well as handle a basic personal public relations strategy is crucial to your success.

The Importance of Personal PR and Branding

It’s important to brand yourself as well as your products. The way you go about this depends on the type of business you have, of course. Individuals and small businesses can take advantage of the opportunity to make their branding very personal. Yet even larger companies must not lose the personal touch. Make sure you maintain a personal touch in your communications. Use personal photos rather than logos in social media site profiles. When you post on your blog and on social media sites, let some of your real personality shine through. People respond best to other people, as opposed to corporate logos or slogans.

How to Make You and Your Products Stand Out

No matter what you are selling, you will have competition. While this presents a challenge, it also gives you the opportunity to focus on what sets you apart. This is often called USP or unique selling proposition when it comes to products and services. In order to identify this, it’s essential to know your target audience very well. You want to be able to connect with the kind of people who will be most interested in what you’re offering. Your marketing and PR tactics will differ depending on the age, gender, interests, income level and other demographics of your audience.

Manage Your Reputation

Reputation management is another crucial aspect of public relations. When you start to become better known, people will start talking about you. This includes everything from customer reviews to stories about you in the media. Unless you are unusually lucky, not everything people say will be positive. You shouldn’t let bad press upset you, but you should always be ready to respond to it. The first part of reputation management is keeping up with what people are saying. Monitor your social media sites and have Google Alerts set for you and your company. If someone criticizes you or your business, respond in a rational and measured way. If there’s a specific problem, do everything you can to remedy the situation. Also take the time to show your appreciation when people make favorable comments.

Tips to Optimize Your Personal Public Relations

There are many ways to promote yourself in a powerful way, even if you don’t have a gigantic marketing budget. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
  • Be active and interactive on social media sites. For example, monitor your Facebook page and respond to comments and questions.
  • Promote yourself using a variety of media. Create articles, videos and podcasts.
  • Send out press releases whenever you come out with a new product or your business does anything notable.
  • Brand yourself offline and locally as well as online. Attend local business events and trade shows related to your industry.
 
Ronn Torossian

Written by

Ronn Torossian

Ronn Torossian is Founder and Chairman of 5W , the AI Communications Firm. He founded 5W in 2003 and built it into one of the largest independent public relations and digital marketing firms in the United States, with senior practitioners serving corporate communications , consumer brands , technology , financial services , health and wellness , beauty , gaming , crisis communications , and public affairs . Under his leadership, 5W defined AI Communications, building brand authority across ChatGPT , Claude , Perplexity , Gemini , and Google AI Overviews, alongside earned media, digital, GEO, and influencer channels. Industry Recognition 5W has been recognized as a top U.S. PR agency by O’Dwyer’s , Agency of the Year in the American Business Awards , Grand Stevie Most Honored PR Agency, a Ragan Top Place to Work in Communications 2026, Digiday WorkLife Employer of the Year, and a PRovoke Top 50 Global PR Agency. Torossian has been recognized with the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year twice, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist nomination, Business Insider Top Crisis Communications Professionals, and Crain’s New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Research Franchise 5W’s research franchise has become an industry reference for measuring brand visibility inside AI-generated answers, including the AI Visibility Index Series , The GEO Reckoning , The Missing Rung Report, and the 5W AI Power User Study , which identified a 99-point AI favorability gap. Crisis Communications Torossian is one of the world’s foremost crisis communications experts. He has counseled blue chip companies, public company boards, founders, and public figures through ransomware incidents, data breaches, regulatory investigations, high-stakes litigation, activist investors, product recalls, and reputational crises. He has taught crisis communications at Harvard University . Media & Commentary Torossian appears on CNN and CNBC . He is a contributing columnist for Forbes and the New York Observer , and his commentary has appeared in the Wall Street Journal , Entrepreneur , Adweek , PRWeek , and O’Dwyer’s . Published Work Torossian is the author of For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations , now in its second edition and used in university and graduate communications programs. Owner and Publisher, Everything-PR Network Torossian is owner and publisher of the Everything-PR Network , an independent intelligence platform covering public relations, marketing, AI communications, and adjacent industries across 30 publications. Everything-PR is editorially independent from 5W, with published editorial standards and ethics standards . The network is one of the most-cited sources inside ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini for PR and marketing queries. He is also an active investor and advisor, a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) , and serves on nonprofit boards.

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