As you make your new year’s resolutions for your business, don’t forget to take PR into consideration.
As someone who lives and breathes PR, I understand the value and power of what public relations delivers. However, many small businesses do not. So, what can PR do for your business?
It puts you on the map: Whether you have a new business or a business that’s been around 20 years, PR brings visibility to your company. A simple press release can bring immediate SEO benefits, in addition to the chance that a potential customer will see the release and want to buy from you—or that a reporter will see it and want to write about you. This can be accomplished in a few hours of your time—or if you hire someone to write it for you, it can be a very cost-effective method of promoting your business.
It adds credibility: Think about the last time you were making a buying decision. If you saw the vendor mentioned in the paper or on the news, wouldn’t that sway your decision in their favor? PR is powerful in that it adds immediate credibility to your business. If you’re featured in an article or story, potential customers will think of you in a different light.
It can be leveraged in multiple ways: Once a story or article appears, an award is won or a speaking opportunity is secured, it can be used in a number of ways: on your site, in your sales efforts and in your social media efforts, to name a few. PR is a great marketing tool because it has a long life and can be repurposed in so many ways, making it ideal for content marketing (all the rage right now!).
It gets the word out: If you have a new product, service or offering, how do you let the public know? Do you spend thousands of dollars on advertising? Or do you issue a press release that can make it into multiple channels for a fraction of the cost? Even if you advertise, a press release can be shared with industry publications, as well as issued on a wire service (some are free) and shared with current and potential customers to get the news out.
Those are just a few ways PR can help your business. This can all translate into increased traffic and potentially, into sales. So what are you waiting for? Resolve to make PR part of your marketing plan for 2014.
