All publicity is good publicity - right? Wrong. When it comes to delivering an accurate portrayal of your business to the media and potential clients, it is important to establish a positive reputation. Here are 6 PR fumbles that you want to look out for to avoid looking like an amateur or worse yet, someone who doesn't represent themselves in the best light. Potential clients will think that you won't be able to represent them well if you can't represent yourself well, so be sure to avoid these classic PR fails:

1. Outdated Website: When researching whether or not you are the right agent to work with, your website is one of the first places potential clients will look. An unappealing website can have business turn towards someone else before they even get a chance to dig into your site's content. Keep your page clean, clear and concise and offer the most up-to-date information about your business. It is also important to have your mission and services big, bold, and easily accessible on your website! A call to action is also a must.

2. Writers Block: While creating original blog posts and articles is an effective tool to help strengthen your brand,highlight you as an industry leader and help with SEO - this task can easily fall by the wayside. Whether you are going to write articles yourself or have a ghostwriter create content on your behalf, it is important that you are producing compelling and well-written material. Most importantly, make the articles relevant and timely - readers want to learn more about a hot topic or be enlightened by something completely new. Lastly, if you decide to use this strategy, make sure you are consistently producing content. It is not nearly as effective to write one article as it is to write 1 or 2 on a monthly basis to share with your audience!

3. Missing Your Target: This may be one of the most important elements to a successful business. Who are you targeting and most importantly - what's in it for them? Making a connection with the market and people you serve will only help to strengthen your brand. As an agent, if you are marketing a specific geographical area - market to those who live within and around where you work. If you have had most of your success working with first home buyers- try targeting an audience between the ages of 25-35 years old. It is really quite simple: to strengthen your business look at who you already do business with and who you WANT to do business with. Then, cater your content, advertising, and approach to those people!

4. Keep Consumers Happy: Regardless if you are an extremely successful agent or not quite where you want to be yet, maintaining a positive ongoing relationship with your past and potential customers is crucial. While a busy agent might be appealing - if you are not dedicated to the sellers or buyers you are working with directly, it may hurt your reputation. Be accessible, and truly listen to their needs and concerns and rise to meet their expectations. Although having authority is helpful- relating to your consumers is more effective. For example, offer real life experiences and stories in your communications and public relations output that help put their questions and concerns into perspective and position you not only as their agent, but their advisor.

5. Social Presence, Or Lack There Of: Social media, one of our most reliable sources of news and information may play a significant role in the growth of your brand. You want to make sure that if you are going to utilize social media as a way to promote yourself as a successful Real Estate Agent; you build an authentic and consistent social media presence on all platforms. Post relevant news on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ so that it shows regular activity and an overview of all important information. Once you have decided to use these platforms, it is important to stay connected in order for these to be truly effective. Strategize ways to continue to build and grow your audience! While using social media for your business is important - a negative social presence spreads like wildfire: far too quickly and without proper PR guidance, extremely difficult to manage. Because most consumers eat, breathe, and sleep social media and crave information at the touch of their fingertips, one bad Google+ review, one backlash Facebook comment, and one unprofessional photo may do some extensive damage to your brand.

6. Show value to your prospects: Rather than just showcasing how you are doing PR for yourself as a Real Estate Agent, it is extremely valuable to show that you are also doing it for the seller's homes you are listing For example, presenting prospective sellers with an unappealing listing presentation with a lack of information, gives off the impression that you don't know what they want. But by providing them with a package of information showing the amount of exposure you can attract to their listings from your PR efforts is extremely valuable. Highlight your blogs, market reports, listing and open house publicity, etc. This way - they can paint a picture of what you are capable of doing for them beyond the normal and regular.

For more information, visit: Expose Yourself Public Relations