3 Reasons Why You Need PR

Public Relations or PR is a common term that many are familiar with. What exactly does it mean and why is it important to you? Gone are the days when public relations consisted mainly of press releases and press conferences. PR nowadays includes social media management, promotions, blogs and content, and crisis management. Anyone who has access or uses social media is an active participant and recipient of PR strategies. Relationships, after all, is a major component of PR whether you are looking at B2B (business to business) or B2C (business to customer) connections. Manage and advance your brand’s relationship with the public and see your business continue to grow in the long run.

Public Relations, as defined by the Public Relations Society of America, is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics. This simply means that earning people’s attention and trust is an integral part of PR and as the relationship grows, so will your brand and business.

The benefits of a well-planned PR strategy will help your business grow. We have compiled our top 3 reasons why you need PR.

Brand Awareness

Your company’s brand is more than just a logo or name. The perception that audiences have of it matters whether you are a small or big company. If you want people to perceive your company as one who cares about the community, you must push to create that feeling. Depending on your target audience, you may want to be perceived as a fun, young, and innovative company. The feelings that the public has towards your logo or name must first be created by you. Nurture and grow it like any relationship that you care about. The positive image of your company and the quality of that relationship will not only take your business to a higher level, but you can count on those same perceptions to help you when problems arise.

Budget and Effectiveness

Every penny counts when you are a business owner. Put your dollars where you can gain maximum effectiveness. PR allows you to continually work on building your brand’s trust and credibility without spending as many marketing dollars. Organic and word-of-mouth advice often draws way more potential customers than by advertisement alone.

A study by Nielsen in 2014 concluded that PR is 90% more effective than advertising when it comes to influencing consumers. A favourable testimonial of your brand weighs much more than an ad simply because it is earned and not paid. Influencer marketing and PR content provides an authenticity that people feel connected and drawn to. Trust is not in the name of the brand or product alone, but what that brand represents. Media allows for third-party validation and for trust to be solidified.

Good PR strategies and content play a major role in supporting the growth of your brand. Blogs and articles published online will be visible on search engines forever. Content gains more value as time goes on and can be shared online repeatedly. Relevant articles shared at peak times may place your business high in search engine rankings. This, in turn, generates more customer traffic to your website.

Long Lasting Relationships

Typical relationships will no doubt see its fair share of challenges. The relationship between your business and consumers may also be tested. Small businesses rely heavily on word-of-mouth. Hence, upset customers that spread bad publicity can quickly put your brand’s credibility at risk.

All problems can be mitigated if managed quickly and correctly. An effective PR strategy includes being on top of what is being said about your company and that the information shared is accurate. Failure to keep a close eye on online activity puts your business at risk. Negative comments can escalate and ruin your brand very quickly. But, building trust and credibility takes much more effort and time.

A focused and dedicated PR strategy can build your brand’s value, trust, and goodwill over time. All the positive testimonies and publicity that comes with it will be free! If you’re interested in seeing how a PR strategy can bump up your brand’s street cred then definitely contact us!