Is a good PR helpful in improving your business?
Publicity dominates the superficial world of today and of course, quality of your product or service. Generally, consumers go for brands that they are familiar with and those that heavily invest in PR specialists to create an amazing brand image and reputation for themselves. Customers trust brand that they see, hear, read or talk about every day. It is that simple.
It leaves little to imagination as to why small to large companies are getting on-board professional PRs. If you still have not joined the league, look below for some unputdownable reasons for what a good PR can do for your business.
· PR is a lot more than just promotion of your product or service : The primary focus of PR (public relation) is on communication with the public (target audience). So, if you confused PR with marketing, clear that misconception right away. PR is essentially responsible for conveying relevant and important information about your company/brand and product offerings for the purpose of promoting your business. But, most importantly, it is concerned with creating an attractive and positive public image of your brand that will encourage the establishment of long-lasting relationship with your customers. This way, the consumers will steadily be able to trust your brand and even influence others to choose you over others.
· Controls potential damage to your brand : Good reputation directly influences sales and PR specialists play a key role in times of reputation crisis. When you are constantly in the public eye, whether through outbound marketing or inbound, you expose yourself to criticisms and also showcase your weaknesses to your target audience and your competitors. Just imagine if a disgruntled employee decides to tarnish your image online or a competitor decides to spread unsavory rumors about your brand. What will you do then? Bad things happen all the time and it is always good to have a PR plan as back-up. You do not want to take a chance of your reputation getting damaged because that will make you lose your customers, and therefore, a drop in your sales and revenue. A PR specialist will be able to clear your name and control the damage, before it gets out of hand. Whether you decide to have an offline or online PR in place, is completely up to you, but it is important to have a plan!
· Create a favorable brand image : PR helps in creating a brand image that you desire. With successful PR strategies and events, you will be able to communicate to your target audience what you want and what they want to hear. This way, your online authority and dominance over the local market will increase.
· Higher returns on investment : PR costs a fraction of your entire advertisement campaigns, and surprisingly, it is one of the most important. Without an attractive image, all your efforts will be moot and a waste of your money. For a better brand recognition and customer engagement, invest in good PR.
· Creates brand credibility : Advertisements are paid and that makes customers become highly skeptical towards it. But, with a lot of positive stories about your brand, images and so on will help to automatically make customers believe in you, leading to brand loyalty.
· Handle negative reviews promptly : It could be that a customer is not happy with the product or service that he/she has received from you. There may have been some glitch along the line from the production to the delivery. With a dedicated PR, you will be able to respond quickly and resolve the issue. It is never good to keep the customer hanging because one unhappy customer can cost you several others in the long run.
Whether small or established business, everyone needs a good PR for managing their reputation and taking care of the image part of the company. In today's world where rumors spread faster than good work, this is the only way to remain in the positive books of your customers. As your potential customers hear wonderful things about you all the time, they will be less reliant on what others have to say and keep an eye on what you are saying.
Do you still doubt the power of a good PR? It is only with PR that several small companies have grown into fortune 500 companies. If that is your goal, do not waste any more time into deliberating and waiting for the right opportunity. Go ahead and incorporate PR into your existing marketing mix.
