A public relations strategy is important, and here’s why!

By Citlali Erazo

Publicity. This word is used so frequently in pop culture that its significance gets overlooked. Publicity is media attention for your product, services or business, and public relations (PR) is the communication strategy used to build a mutually beneficial relationship with a company’s target audience. A brand’s image makes up 63% of the value of most businesses, however, public relations is often overlooked by companies. Implementing a PR strategy for your business will create a strong and positive presence in your industry.

Here are six benefits of having a strong PR strategy for your business.

• Creates brand credibility

Unlike advertising, PR creates a credible company image. How many times have you scrolled through a website and underneath an article or headline you see the words “sponsored content” or  “promoted by…”? Suddenly the value and trustworthiness of the information you’re reading dwindles. This is a great example of how organic news coverage is more credible than a paid advertisement. Moreover, with exposure to approximately 4,000 to 10,000 ads daily, most of us tend to become desensitized to ads and are more likely to ignore them. The benefit of PR, is the information about the goods or services does not identify a sponsor. It comes from an independent source, making it more trustworthy. 

• Affordable and effective

Advertising is expensive, however publicity is virtually free. Advertising requires you to purchase space in a publication, but with publicity, being featured in the publication is free. Publicity is proof that there is power in numbers. For instance, PR generates a great amount of readership and viewership by publishing content in newspapers, magazines, news channels, websites, blogs, and television programs. Being published in print media such as newspapers and magazines is a great promotional tool because it is organic. Moreover, publicity allows for more information to be disseminated than advertising. As a result of limited sponsored content space, a lot of important information must be cut out. However, a perk of publicity is its long form nature. For example, press releases, newspaper articles, and blog posts are abundant in information. 

• Builds a positive brand image

A company’s image will either make or break the company. Ninety percent of potential consumers use reviews and online mentions to determine whether or not to purchase products or services, which is why a positive brand image is crucial. Consumers are more likely to support a brand with a positive image because it is seen as being more credible. A positive image creates interest for your business, and reputation management is a key component of maintaining it. Reputation management repairs damage such as negative reviews, advertising gone wrong, and overall backlash that a brand could face. This is why PR is vital for branding. 

• Builds community relations

PR builds and maintains a mutually beneficial relationship with the community. A great way to strengthen community ties is by joining groups, volunteering, and donating to organizations that align with your company values. This relationship is valuable because it establishes reliability, trust, and credibility. Moreover it makes a strong impact and shows people how their community is improving as a result of your brand’s efforts. This also garners exposure and reinforces a positive company image. 

• Amplifies online presence

The internet is a powerful marketing tool, and with the help of a PR strategy, your brand can reach audiences that it wouldn’t be able to offline. For instance, social media, blogs, and press releases can boost search engine optimization (SEO) and increase website traffic. PR increases overall brand visibility which is good because consumers are more likely to buy your goods or services when a brand is familiar. A strong online presence creates several opportunities to increase sales and ultimately expand the company. 

• Increases sales and leads

Blog posts and news articles with a captivating headline create more interest than an advertisement. Why? Because they focus on a story, as opposed to the product. Due to the longform nature of PR, testimonials and case studies are a great way to spark a consumer’s curiosity. Positive reviews and word of mouth referrals increase sales and leads. Moreover, it can lead to a snowball effect, in which good press leads to even more good press. Another great strategy to implement is creating a press or media section on your website. This will establish credibility and increase sales. 

An effective PR strategy is a crucial component of a successful business. At virtually no cost, publicity offers extensive benefits including credibility, effectiveness, a positive brand image and a strong online and community presence. Most importantly, it leads to growth opportunities and an increase in business profits.

Traditional Media is the Perfect Complement to Social Media

By Charlotte Cheek

Today’s technology has put a strong emphasis on 140 characters or fewer, a square image, and sharing with your closest 500+ Facebook friends, and less of an emphasis on the old fashioned black & white newspaper at your front doorstep every morning. Many might contend that long gone are the days of paperboys and traditional media, as social media and online sources steal newspaper and magazine readers, radio listeners, and television viewers.

But what if I told you that the world is a big enough place for all types of medias?

Well it’s true. In fact, they cannot only coexist, but they complement one another too.

For example, say your charity event just showed up on the TV news. If you want to have it seen repeatedly, you can take it to social media and more people will see it. Publicity is the gift that keeps on giving – as long as you keep on giving it. By sharing traditional media (TV, newspapers, magazines, or radio) on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and even Instagram…the number of views rises higher and higher.

Did your business just show up on the front page of the newspaper? Copy and paste it on social media. Instead of all your posts coming directly from you, a third party will validate what you are doing for your community. Sharing traditional media on social media gives a variety of content that keeps things interesting.

An article or news clip is dead in the water after it has aired or been printed, unless you take matters into your own hand and share.

Don’t forget the newspapers, magazines, TV, or radio because they only will help your business!

Speak, don't sell

By Charlotte Cheek

So, you have a speaking engagement! Good for you, but now, what do you say?

Your first instinct may be to get up in front of the room and talk about your spectacular business. It may seem easy to talk about the work you are passionate about and know inside and out. You may try and entice your audience to hire you or buy your products. But think before you act!

CEO of Yahoo, Marissa Mayer, is a well sought after speaker in the United States. Recently, she delivered the keynote address at the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In today’s world, we are overwhelmed with advertisements. According to the American Association of Advertising Agencies, the average American encounters approximately 560 ads per day.* So, the people voluntarily coming to your speaking engagement are not going to want to add your 25-minute-to-hour-long advertisement to their daily list of ads. Your voice may be lost in the noise of endless ads.

Fifty percent of a sale is being in front of the room. So, get up there and be passionate, but don’t sell. The sale will come on its own without a glorified in-person commercial.

Your New Goals while speaking, besides selling:

• Be Passionate – Talk about a hobby you are passionate about or something you have learned in your career that can help the audience. If you are passionate and interested in the topic, you will be much more likely to be interesting. You can keep an audience engaged and they may even learn a few things, which leads us to our next goal...
• Be an Expert – Gain credibility with your audience by knowing your stuff. The audience will trust you more when they can tell that you are knowledgeable, which can lead to them trusting you in your field of expertise (aka your job).

So what are you passionate about? Wine, animals, social media, or art? The possibilities are endless and people will want to listen!

*https://ams.aaaa.org/eweb/upload/faqs/adexposures.pdf

Bill Gates & Donald Trump

What do they have in common? The power of public relations!

These two names are known far and wide, and they’re known as successful, wealthy businessmen. Both Gates and Trump used PR to gain public awareness of who they are, and although their names and faces are established, they continue to work with PR reps to make sure people know what they’re doing, and ensure that the right things are being said. 

These men are obviously extreme examples of how powerful PR can be. However, PR is something that every person who wants a well-known business needs, in order to gain public awareness of his or her name and brand. Who knows? With the right PR rep, you could be on your way to owning the next Trump Tower!