By Bianca Vranceanu, Ioana Good, and Matthew Esteves –
Everyone wants their company to thrive and beat the competition. Understanding the business of PR is paramount for success. Journalists need valuable content, pitches, unique soundbites, and trending topics. Companies must be responsive and be familiar with news cycles and trending topics. Yet, often, companies are busy working IN their business rather than ON their business. Many are focused on their immediate needs, such as keeping their clients happy, staying within budgets, and addressing daily challenges. However, creating a trajectory for future growth is imperative. Here are four ways PR helps drum up business.
1. Create the Right Team
PR is all about building brand awareness by getting your company in the news, exposing your product/service to potential clients, and cementing that you are a leader and expert in your field. Savvy entrepreneurs understand that PR practitioners specialize in communication and have strong relationships with journalists and news outlets by continuously providing valuable content and sources for various news cycles. Additionally, they know how to capture the attention of the press. Outsourcing your PR to a skilled PR practitioner is a great way to meet your goals. This does not mean that you get rid of your in-house team. Assigning someone in-house to overlook these efforts and meet regularly with the PR team is a proven way to gain traction and results.
2. Establish Credibility
The more the public sees you in the news, the more they believe in your success and want to work with you. Earned media takes time, but it will provide a much greater return on investments than advertorials and paid media. Think about what topics you are an expert in. What are your clients always asking? What value can you bring to the table? If you received an award, that’s great, and some local media outlets or membership outlets may pick that up. However, you need to provide thought leadership quotes and articles to get into mainstream media. Valuable content is not about you; it’s about the problem you are solving and the industry you serve.
3. Promote Brand Visibility
Every time you appear in the news, you gain third-party endorsement. Other news outlets and readers may share your story, which helps you build a larger following. These connections provide endless opportunities for more exposure. Further, the relevant news stories appear at the top of the search engines, helping you stand out from your competitors.
4. Reach Your Target Audience
PR practitioners are strategic communication experts who can analyze and define each media opportunity’s target audience. They can formulate media pitches based on the journalist’s coverage and trending topics. They also look at your company’s audience and potential targets to hook them. Their connections with media outlets ensure that news is directed to the right target audience. This increases clientele.