Why do you need PR?
Why do you need PR? This is one of my most frequently asked questions and one of the most contentious topics I have to discuss. So I thought I’d get in there first with a round-up of views across various industries.
Bill Gates, the American business magnate and successful co-founder of Microsoft, the world's largest personal-computer software company, once said, “If I was down to my last dollar, I would spend it on public relations”.
Let’s start with the basics and explore what PR experts say about public relations.
Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organisations and their publics.
Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)
Public Relations is about reputation - the result of what you do, what you say and what others say about you.
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.
World Assembly of Public Relations Associations (Mexico City in August 1978)
Public relations practice is the art and social science of analysing trends, predicting their consequences, counselling organisation leaders, and implementing planned programmes of action which will serve both the organisation’s and the public interest.
What does that all mean, and how can it help you?
We all love to read, be educated or entertained by the goings-on in our local community, region or across the world. Collectively we love to explore and read about new destinations and travel vicariously through a trusted journalist. Yet when it comes to advertising, we flick through magazines ignoring colourful pages full of invasive advertising slogans trying to sell us the latest holiday package deal. So why would you choose the advertising route when you can have your story told by a trusted and independent source?
It’s much easier to be engaged by consumer reports, word of mouth, customer testimonials and editorial media; in fact, according to Nielson, public relations activities are 90 per cent more effective than advertising and have a long-lasting impact. A professional communicator understands how to write compelling stories that will earn people's attention, but advertising is considered expensive noise. You’d be more likely to trust a qualified lawyer than a car salesman, wouldn't you? Moreover, once a feature is online, it will remain there forever. In contrast, advertising has a limited shelf life and disappears as soon the contracted term has expired.
How can public relations help you?
There are so many ways that a well-planned public relations strategy can help you; we look at some of the most essential strategies to consider.
Brand awareness
Brand awareness is a marketing term that refers to consumer recognition of a product or service by its name, strapline or logo. Ideally, it should also distinguish you from your competitors. Products or services that consistently maintain a high level of brand awareness are likely to generate substantially more sales than those that do not. When consumers encounter choices, they are more likely to choose a well-known product over an unfamiliar one.
Bolster your online presence
When employing a public relations company, you and they will strategically plan how to reach and maintain a positive online presence that will reach your target audience. You’ll align your plan with traditional media so that you achieve the best possible coverage and become more recognisable. It’s essential to find a balance between print and digital approaches. Digital successes will result in online business profiling, reviews, press releases and fruitful relationships with online journalists, top bloggers and influencers, backlinks and visits to your website resulting in a purchase, subscriber or like.
Increase your credibility
Having a recognisable, clear and consistent brand will undoubtedly increase credibility within your industry, peers and buyers. Building a consistent brand voice across your website, social media presence, and blog platforms is fundamental for increasing lead generation. Uniformity and consistency across your brand are key to fostering new relationships and trust. The time and effort that you spend allow people to feel familiar and comfortable with your messaging.
Generate business leads
There are numerous ways of generating new business leads. Perhaps the most important is through genuine print or digital editorial, particularly if it gives your business credible endorsements. You can extend the shelf life of the article by sharing it across relevant social media channels; remember to link back to the source to continue the recognition. You can also repurpose the article by using relevant sections in collaterals and newsletters. Comprehensive and persuasive articles are a cost-effective way of sharing your news across various platforms. At Roam Generation, we possess a priceless black book of media connections.
Enhance your position as an industry expert
A great way to gain media coverage is to position yourself as an industry expert. There is a whole host of ways to do this, from writing blogs, featuring in articles that require expert content, and speaking at various relevant conferences and events. We know that this can be challenging if you are not a confident speaker, but we can train you, ghostwrite your blogs and even pitch expert articles for you.
Advertising or public relations, which would you choose?
Well-known public relations professional Robert Wynne, president of California based, Wynne PR says, “with advertising, you tell people how great you are. With publicity, others sing your praises. Which do you think is more effective?”.
Interestingly he has broken down important elements of both so that the key points are easily identified and simple to remember.
Advertising/marketing
Paid
Builds exposure
Audience is sceptical
More expensive
‘Buy this product.’
Public relations
Earned
Builds trust
Media gives third-party validation
Less expensive
‘This is important.’
I hope that this very condensed version about the benefits of public relations helps you understand its importance. It’s about us building trust and connection that will strengthen your brand from now and well into the future.
