What are the Benefits of PR?

In a world of digital marketing, when was the last time you considered PR? I mean real good, old-fashioned, solid PR, not content marketing, blog posts, or social media, where your company brand gets mentioned a couple of times.

Whether your company is online, or a bricks and mortar establishment, it should still play a large part in building a company reputation which puts your brand on the top of the pile.

Reputation is Still Everything

Industrial leaders’ continuously state reputation is the first thing they consider when viewing different businesses. Over and above financial performance, and company assets, a company’s solid reputation can have a major effect when expanding existing, or opening new markets.

A good reputation opens doors to additional funding, attracting investment, and allowing superior value for both goods and services. Reputation also has a major effect on recruitment of both graduate and shop floor staff. There is a sense of pride when asked where they are employed, and staff moral is generally higher working for a company of high repute.

Whether your company is small, medium, or large; local, national, or international; good public relations can make a massive difference and provide untold benefits.

Building a Brand

The hardest time for any business is getting started. Building a successful team you are happy with, attracting your first service contracts, or online sales, all the while watching your budgeting. Yet it’s also the time you should be striving to built your brand with good public relations.

As a start-up, your previous experience and that of senior management should be mentioned. Why you’ve started up on your own, your visions for the company’s future and why companies should use your services. Of course, you also need to be able to back-up these claims with deadlines met, well produced goods, and excellent services.

It takes a long time to build a good reputation and little time to lose it. Good PR can do much for a company, but it can’t work miracles.

Where Does PR Work Best?

In truth, good public relations will benefit your company no matter where it is, online, or weekly/monthly trade or technology journals. That said, no-one has an unlimited PR budget. If you expect most of your business to be local then news pieces, when opening, opening offers, what makes you different, should be circulated to local newspapers, magazines, and trade journals.

Let’s not forget your online presence. A company website with a good ‘Company News’ section, makes for excellent public relations and brand building. In the early days that first big contract is always worth mentioning, with regular follow-ups until completion. Completed satisfactorily two weeks before deadline, shout it from your news page.

Social media allows some excellent PR opportunities. Contract completed a couple of photographs, and a few nice comments, even better if the comments come from your client. Word of mouth is the best form of any PR.

With everything seemingly geared to the internet, remember, don’t forget good PR, it’s what will get your brand noticed just as much as being top of search engine page rankings.

Does your business utilise PR? Please leave your comments below…