Understanding how Public Relations can help your business and brand to get noticed is to understand what role PR plays in your overall marketing strategy.
The Public Relations practitioners job is to add value to organic content that educates the clients customer base. PR should create and maintain trust in the brand and should be able to promote successful sales tactics. Via PR channels, customers should be influenced during the sales process in the evaluation phase – prior to purchase. PR is an extremely important step in the final decision making process.
PR is about building trust in the brand over a period of time. Customers will be influenced by your story of how you can help them, why you or your business cares about them, and why you are great at what you do, as well as testimonials and proof of how you helped others and what they can expect from you. It’s important to note that being consistent is vital when it comes to PR. If you have good PR and then you pull the plug on it, people may wonder what has happened to you and your business.
On the digital front, PR helps with searchability online, especially if you are featured in high ranking news pages and websites. Your profile should be aligned to who you say you are and what you offer. Consistency and trust are key components when you are building a brand. Your market needs to feel safe with your offering.
PR will not bring in instant sales, however it is that steady exposure of the brand to the public that creates awareness, trust and loyalty. The occasional interview or article won’t catapult you to fame. Consistent exposure is key to getting noticed.
PR CAN work as a standalone marketing strategy, but only if you have an excellent sales strategy that is currently producing results and your PR can then do its job to support sales when closing deals.
Exposure in the media can support you on overall brand awareness and help you stay top of mind. It can also act as an education tool, and can tackle difficult misconception challenges in the market.
The public needs to know WHO you are WHAT you do, and more importantly, WHY you do it and public relations is the vehicle to get this information out there. It also bolsters your credibility with potential customers and this makes the selling process much easier.
It’s important to note that being consistent is vital when it comes to PR. If you have good PR and then you pull the plug on it, people may wonder what has happened to you and your business.