By Jasmine Salik
No matter how long you’ve been in business or what you sell, an investment in boosting the public’s perception of your company can reap outsized returns. That’s where a good public relations strategy can help.
What is a PR Strategy?
A public relations (PR) strategy is a collection of actions taken to generate publicity and coverage of your business in relevant media outlets. These could include industry publications, newspapers, television, podcasts, speaking engagements, and blogs or online reviews. This coverage spreads the word about your business, improves its recognition, and helps you create and maintain positive relationships with your target audience.
As any business owner knows, not all content resonates with the customers you want to reach. It’s important to know what kind of publicity will earn their trust and engagement.
The Three Types of Media Channels
There are three types of media channels: owned, paid, and earned. Owned media is the content you put out into the world on your business’ own platforms, including your company’s website and social media pages. Paid media is the content you pay other outlets to place and promote in order to gain exposure for your business. Earned media is content created by others about your business that you didn’t pay for. Earned media is special because it builds greater trust in your business than owned or paid media. It improves your company’s reputation because people trust what others say about you more than what you say about yourself.
A PR company specializes in securing earned media for your business in relevant outlets. This is accomplished through years of building and maintaining relationships in the media world.
The Top 5 Reasons Your Company Needs PR
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To build brand awareness. The more people who know about your business, the better. That’s especially true when people are finding out about your company through trustworthy, earned media sources rather than paid-for advertising.
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To gain credibility. PR helps build trust in your organization. It starts a public dialogue about you and gets people talking about your business. One goal of PR is to help you establish a solid brand identity through messaging that reflects your company’s values. Independent news stories about your business verified by a non-biased journalist are the ultimate way to prove your organization’s credibility.
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To manage crises. When problems arise that impact the image of your business, a solid PR campaign can alleviate the harm done and restore your company’s standing.
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To generate business leads. A good PR strategy will help generate sales. After implementing a successful PR campaign, potential customers know who you are, and have trust in your business and the values you represent. That means they’re more likely to seek you out when they need the product or service your company offers.
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To attract investors. Appearing in the right media outlets at the right time with a great message lets investors know you’re a viable and worthwhile business that deserves their time and money. In this way, leveraging the power of a PR company can create additional wealth and opportunities for your business.
The Goddard Company’s publicity services include media list curation, press release writing, news distribution to local, national, and international media outlets, and extensive online reputation management.