Although PR is typically associated with big businesses, equipped with their own well-resourced marketing and communications function, in reality public relations can be used by any business.
Over the years, Cannon PR has supported a wide range of SME businesses: from new entrepreneurs taking the first tentative steps on their business journey, to companies preparing for growth, entering new markets, sharing their achievements, and many more reasons.
Although the approach may differ, a well thought-out PR strategy can be every bit as effective to help SMEs distinguish themselves from the competition. In the eyes of most journalists, a good news story is a good news story, but of course that’s just one of the many different techniques that form a PR strategy.
How do I create a PR strategy?
The purpose of a public relations strategy should always be aligned to your business goals. Common questions you should consider when thinking about a PR strategy are: Who do I want to reach (audience)? How do I reach them (channels)? What do I want to say (message)? What do I want to achieve (impact)? How do I know whether it has been effective (evaluation)?
Ultimately, as the Chartered Institute of Public Relations conveys in its own definition of PR: public relations is ‘the result of what you do, what you say and what others say about you’.
Without getting overly technical, PR holds a unique place in the marketing mix. Typical PR strategies focus largely upon shaping and influencing the news agenda, whether that’s through traditional media channels such as newspapers and broadcast channels such as TV or radio, to news-based websites, shaping opinion on social media channels or embracing self-publishing platforms such as podcasts. A well-thought-out PR strategy can provide almost limitless possibilities.
So why do businesses turn to PR? Well, when was the last time you bought a newspaper or clicked on a website specifically to look at the adverts?
Every business has a reputation. PR helps to amplify the way your business communicates with potential customers, suppliers and even prospective members of staff, all of which contributes towards building both visibility and goodwill associated with the business.
A great PR strategy will help establish and improve the image of your brand in the market. This means better positive visibility, which is often associated with more paying customers and accelerated sales.
What does it take to become a well-known brand?
Although a great PR strategy can skyrocket your business, it doesn’t always happen like that. Here’s why:
A PR strategy is built around developing creative, credible content that resonates with others. However, the first thing to understand about using public relations effectively in your business is being clear about what you want to achieve. Brands like Amazon, eBay and even Google didn’t become market leaders simply because they had a PR division, but their PR strategy plays an important part in helping their brand to remain relevant.
Examples of how public relations can be used effectively in businesses may mean creating greater brand recognition, building a better understanding of the services your company delivers or becoming closely associated with a particular subject or issue. Those things take time.
Gimmicks, or publicity stunts, can be an effective way of pricking up the ears of journalists and influencers alike, but this will only get you so far. It’s vital to think both strategically and long term.
Effective public relations strategies are all about building momentum. This is done not by simply churning out press release after press release and sending them to every known journalist on the planet, but by creating meaningful connections to those you are wishing to engage with.
Most owners of SMEs wear many different hats within the business. They can be the sales director, the marketing manager, manage vital business functions such as production, distribution and customer service in addition to devoting time to producing content for a website, distributing a press release to the media or replying to a journalist.
That’s why SMEs, with more limited resources than their blue-chip counterparts, often employ PR consultancies, helping them to tap into their wealth of knowledge and expertise to distinguish themselves from the competition.
Used effectively, a partnership with a PR agency can not only help your business to stand out from the competition for the right reasons, at the right time, but can also build goodwill in relation to your brand.
Where do I start when it comes to building a PR strategy?
Here are a few things you should consider when building a PR strategy:
1. Media Relations
Storytelling is a very important element of public relations work. Most businesses have great stories to tell, but in my experience, SME owners can often get too caught up in the day-to-day pressures of running the business to maximise those opportunities.
New appointments, new business wins, innovation and comments are all staple stories of business pages. However, writing a press release is the beginning rather than the end. Give consideration to the accompanying photography and video, but perhaps most importantly of all, think about your distribution list. Are you targeting the business pages or general news? What publications do your customers read? Distribution and taking time to know and understand the publications you are targeting is arguably more important than the story itself.
2. Social Media
Social media is big business, and many company owners often mistakenly believe that simply having active social media profiles will magically start filling up the company bank account. Usually this relies heavily upon paid promotional posts or focusing on the hard sell.
Effective social media use should always be considered as part of your PR strategy. It’s about building relationships and trust with your audience. Share hints and tips, celebrate your success and use it as an opportunity for your customers to get to know the people behind the business. Post regularly, but always make sure your content is relevant to your target audience.
3. Working with influencers
Working with influencers, whether that’s individuals with a large social media following, trusted individuals working within your industry field, or even celebrities, can be an effective technique for amplifying information about your products or services, but the same rules apply. How will it benefit your business? What do you aim to achieve from the relationship? Is it likely to help you build and grow your own audience? It’s worth remembering this usually comes with a price tag. However, influencers can also be found in other walks of life, for example, MPs, councillors, civic and community leaders, etc.
If you want to know more about public relations and how it can ease your job as a business owner, feel free to get in touch. You will receive a free initial consultation to answer all your questions and find out how to help your business communicate more effectively by harnessing the power of PR.
