Everyone has an opinion on PR. Some love it, some hate it, most are scared of it...
Out of the marketing mix, it can be the most controversial. Although it’s long been argued that you can’t measure the value of PR, I disagree.
PR has to be part of a combination of marketing activity and it needs to be planned, strategic and targeted. Press for press sake has no effect and is totally pointless, but here are just some of the reasons you may not have thought about as to why your business should consider PR:
1 - It gets people talking about you for the right reason - Getting in front of your target customers is your priority. But you want people talking about you for the right reasons. You might be an established business or you might be brand new, but you want them knowing about the success of your business, what your team think and believe in and the direction you and your products and services. It’s your story, you need to tell it.
2 - It’s authentic endorsement - It’s not you saying what you’re good at, it’s someone else telling your audience that you’re good instead. People believe what they read much more than you and your sales messages.
3 - It generates quality leads - Yes, it’s not as clean cut as other lead generation activity, but what is said about you in the press has a massive impact on your business. It is also arguably one of the most authentic lead gen streams, as the leads that come off the back of reading about your business like your ethos or like what you’re up to - much more likely to be serious and convert.
4 - It translates your business - PR is a sense check. It translates often complex internal messages into wording that is understood by people outside of your business. It’s hard to do this when you’re head is so focussed on the business / product / service, but a decent PR will lose your jargon and make sense of it.
5 - It attracts talent and boosts morale - Decent staff want to work places that share their beliefs and work on projects that interest them. If you don’t tell people about what you're up to, you won’t be considered an option. And it gives your existing team a boost seeing the business a part of the news agenda; encouraging them to be proud and loyal to the business.
6 - It can be controlled - One of the main things CEO’s get nervous about is the lack of control with PR and in particular journalists. Journo's are there to understand to your business and find news to write about. Unless you have something to hide, they’re not out to sabotage you and are just as interested in positive news as they are negative. This is where a decent PR approach comes in. It’s your job to tell them about who you are and why they should be interested in you and give them the facts, stats and colour to give them the story you want them to know about. You can control how much you give away, so don’t let that put you off.
7 - It amplifies your brand - You and your team spend so much time creating visions, morals and values for your business to live by. Making sure these are replicated and come across on all platforms and through all marketing disciplines will see your brand accelerate much further. This makes your brand much stronger and drives value for the business.
Agree? Disagree? Made you think? Get in touch