by Fiona Scott of Fiona Scott Media
Everyone seems to think they know what ‘PR’ means – however, more often than not, they don’t!
Many business owners see it as pointless, with no ROI and it’s easy – they’ve got much better things to do with their time and money.
I wonder why bigger companies and brands see it as absolutely critical to their success then?
In simple terms, good PR (public relations NOT press relations) makes you and your business visible in the right way with the right messages consistently, so that you are in the best position for customers or clients to buy from you.
PR is for you if:
You want organic business growth
If you find yourself saying: “I need to get out there…”, then good PR means having a plan and a budget to do just that.
Business owners often feel the need to spread the word that they exist and they are impatient about making it happen right now. Forget it! It takes time.
PR is one of the most consistent ways to build awareness and spread the word in a cost-efficient way. By getting your company consistently mentioned in the news, on social media, via blogs like this, you can generate organic leads in an impactful way. You then have to recognise those leads and get on and sell…
You want more visibility
If you are frustrated that others in your sector get more ‘airtime’ than you do, ask yourself why that is? It’s usually not an accident that others are being seen – they are investing more effort in time and budget than you.
You want brand awareness
If you are taken aback that no one has ever heard of your product or service, it usually means you’ve been lucky so far or perhaps you’ve had one or two main clients, so you’ve rumbled along nicely making enough income. However, if lockdown has taught you anything, it should have taught you that’s a dangerous way to do business. That big egg in your basket may turn rancid almost overnight.
You work in the third sector
If you run a charity or any kind of social enterprise, building the awareness of the organisation or your charity event is important in order to encourage donations and support for the cause, and PR is the essential tool to do so.
In order to encourage and nurture support, you have to evidence what you are doing from day one whether it is through case studies or client testimonials. Even if you attract funding from other sources, such as local authority grants, you will be required to demonstrate how that money has been used and how you have impacted your service users.
Take PR seriously – it’s your shop window
PR is vital and shouldn’t just be shoved into someone’s job or given to someone in-house, who doesn’t want to do it and won’t make it a priority, or given to the most junior person in the room, who hasn’t been trained.
Through effective marketing strategies, PR promotes its clients’ agenda and, when used appropriately, PR can give a business or organisation the power to overcome almost any obstacle and generate multiple opportunities.
If you need a helping hand to get started doing PR well, why not book a virtual power hour with me at £99 + VAT? Email me on fiona@fionascott.co.uk.
