Using Public Relations to Your Advantage

Public relations help your company look good in the eyes of the public and create more sales.

PR can be a powerful marketing tool because it is regarded more highly by consumers, given that it is a third party advertising your business.

Even better, it can sometimes be possible to use unpaid tools, such as media, the internet, and business networks. 

Marketing vs. Public Relations

On the surface, PR and marketing may appear to be the same; however, there are key differences.

• Marketing promotes your businesses’ products and/or services.
• Public Relations focuses on promoting a positive reputation for your company.

The goal of marketing is to increase sales, while PR’s goal is to generate a positive reputation. Marketing generally targets the consumers, while PR aims to reach the public, especially stakeholders and media. 

3 Tips for Developing a PR strategy

A good PR campaign will cause the public to think more highly of your business, increasing their likelihood of doing business with you. Here are some tips to help you create a PR campaign of your own.

1. Develop your goals.

Make sure your goals are SMART goals.

SMART is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. According to Chron, some beneficial PR goals include “raising awareness; generating interest; promoting goodwill; reinforcing/burnishing brand image; providing information; and creating demand.”

2. Create a budget.

PR campaigns can be costly.

Start with a budget and then research various PR strategies. Choose the ones that will accomplish your goals and within your budget.

3. Cement your key messages.

Key messages are the main points you want your audience to remember.

These messages consist of five to six sentences clarifying your goals while answering the who, what, where, when, and why. Be sure to mention these message points in all press releases and keep them concise, memorable, and relevant. 

Where to Get Your Message Out

There are several places you can get your message. Check out these public relations outlets.

Media.

The media loves to report on interesting happenings.

If your business is doing something newsworthy, the media is going to want to report on it. You want the media to report because this equates to free advertising that customers will likely trust more than marketing campaigns.

Get the attention of journalists by releasing media statements and fact sheets. Even better, offer on-site media tours.

Newsletter, brochures, and catalogs.

These are all useful ways to utilize the power of print.

Inform current customers and draw in new ones by disseminating these tangible printed works. Customers will enjoy looking through these. Plus, customers will leave these around their house for quite some time.

Sponsorships or partnerships.

People love it when businesses support non-profits.

It elevates the business’s image in their minds as they’re happy to see a company caring about its community. It’s a win-win because you get the chance to help others, while goodwill and loyalty towards your business are elevated.

People will begin to associate your business with selflessness and good ethics. It will give them a greater motive to do buy from you. 

PR strategies can be an extremely effective way to increase sales in the long run by positively influencing the public’s view of your business.