The marketing practice of public relations is often misunderstood and overlooked by owners of small businesses. A lot of people associated with small businesses believe that PR only exists to serve massive corporates who are looking to avoid gaining a negative reputation following a mishap. Others believe that PR only exists for large corporate businesses with six figure budgets.
These two assumptions could not be further from the truth. These days, PR services are available to businesses and organisations of all sizes. While PR contributes a lot to maintaining a company’s reputation and image, the majority of PR is based around creating success and growth rather than dodging disaster. If PR is used properly, it can be an invaluable tool for growth, here are a few things to consider by South Wales based Quadrant PR
What is public relations?
PR is the means by which a business creates brand awareness and becomes familiar among its target audience. Consistent exposure to a business via press releases and well organised events have a significant long term impact on the success of a business. Small businesses that implement effective PR campaigns will give themselves the opportunity to become thought leaders in their industry. While this type of exposure is priceless, PR is one of the most cost effective ways to create awareness for a business. If PR campaigns are implemented correctly, the return on investment can be huge!
Using public relations to increase brand awareness
Public relations should play an integral part in all small business marketing plans. Effective PR can draw a target audience’s attention to a business and its other marketing efforts. Essentially, PR plants the seed that establishes a brand within the mind of its potential customers. Once brand familiarity is created, people will instantly recognise a business every time they come into contact with it. By raising brand awareness, a captive audience is created for future marketing messages.
Using public relations to stand out from the crowd
The chance of a business establishing itself in a competitive industry usually comes down to one question, what makes your business different to the rest? This question is huge! After all, if a business is the same as everyone else, the media will see no reason to cover its story. A lot of businesses struggle to identify their unique characteristics, but as soon as these are identified, the chances of getting stories published increase significantly.
The key elements of small business public relations
Increasing amounts of small businesses are beginning to see the benefits that public relations can provide them with. There are a few things to remember that have a large bearing on the success of PR activities. If a business can differentiate itself from competitors, PR can complement its unique selling point and creating a lasting image in the minds of its target audience. The best way to yield a good return from a public relations campaign is to work with an experienced agency that knows how to achieve results. It’s also worth remembering that PR is just one component of the process of marketing. One or two press releases will get a business little or no attention from its target audience. If PR is consistently implemented as part of a broader marketing plan, it’s enough to establish a business as a leader in its field.