The world of public relations is one that is sometimes misconstrued and some people struggle to differentiate between this and marketing. However, both departments fulfil distinct roles and are equally important to the plight of a business. Whilst marketing concerns itself with trying to sell, and make people aware of, your products and services; public relations overseas the whole company and is tasked with building bridges with the people that will be interacting with your brand.
Any small business will be wondering if they really need to fund and grow this area of their company or whether they can do without PR altogether. However, there are many reasons why you should look to either form your own department for this area of business or, better yet, outsource it to an agency that could really get things moving in the right direction. So why should you not be without PR?
You’re Practically Invisible If The Public Have Never Heard Of You –
It’s great if you have the best products and services around but if nobody knows about your business then this is largely futile. It’s so important to let your consumer base get to know the brand behind your products so that you can begin to build relationships with them for the future. Unless you really connect with them through your PR you will struggle to have them coming back time and time again to the products you sell.
PR can build brand loyalty and put your business at the forefront of the market in which you operate. You want your customers to immediately think of you in relation to anything which you sell.
Your Reputation Could Take a Serious Hit –
Another job of public relations is to manage the reputation of the company so that any potential disasters are dealt with swiftly and effectively without damaging the business’s name. If you don’t have the procedures in place for this then your brand’s reputation could take a serious hit and the future of your company could be put in doubt. At times when disaster has struck there is the need for a measured and tactile approach as well as a timely response and these things can only come from prior planning.
Having an experienced and knowledgeable PR company to advise you in situations like this will be invaluable in your attempts to rebuild or keep intact the opinion that the public has of your business. And with the rise of social media there are increased risks of misadventure meaning every company needs to be prepared for the worst.
You Will Struggle To Grow As A Business –
The ultimate goal for any business is likely to be to make a profit and grow into a bigger company. However it’s very difficult to do this if nobody is working at building relationships with the general public. When it comes down to it; it is going to be your customers who decide how much you can expand and just how successful you can be, and so failing to address them directly through your PR is missing out on a great opportunity.
The more that people can learn about and relate to your brand the more likely they are to continue using it and fund your growth. The relationships that you have with your clients and consumers should be some of the strongest your business forms, and without doubt the best way to do this is through a well thought-out and consistent PR strategy.
About the Author: Chris Mayhew knows the importance of PR from his time working in the marketing industry. He would recommend that anyone looking for an agency to outsource their public relations to looks not further than Eclat Marketing.