A business with a bad reputation is a business that likely will not exist for very long. Public relations, or PR, is ultimately a way to protect and grow the reputation of your business and brand.
PR is an extremely helpful way to grow businesses of all sizes, and here are five ways PR is uniquely helpful in growing a business and improving its reputation.
A Public Relations Agency Provides Essential Damage Control
No matter how hard a business might try to protect its reputation, angry customers are an inevitability. Worse, sometimes it is the most loyal customers who turn angry when a business develops an unpopular or undesirable product.
When these circumstances arise, a business can either try to quell the discord themselves or utilize a PR agency that is equipped to put out fires of this sort. Businesses that choose to go the PR route will reap the rewards of their decision.
PR specialists are skilled at acting quickly to minimize the negative effects of a bad situation, and the ability to shift and shape the perceptions and narrative of the public and the media alike is an invaluable asset to businesses in crisis.
A PR Agency Can Enhance Your Company's Reputation Without the Use of Advertisements
Customers today are used to being bombarded by advertisements on a daily basis. Ads on television, online, in print and on the radio are constantly heard and seen by customers, leading to an information overload of sorts. Additionally, traditional advertising is often expensive without delivering the sorts of ROI a company needs to grow the business in an efficient way.
Consider PR the antithesis of traditional advertising. PR uses word of mouth and media publicity to drum up interest in a product. For example, imagine you come across an advertisement of a business while browsing the Internet. It may speak to you, but realistically, you might just keep on browsing without thinking about the product again. Now imagine that you read a media story where your product is discussed in a favorable light by industry professionals and respected media sources.
Seeing a product favorably discussed in the media and by objective sources is the PR advantage, and these benefits are provided with significant cost savings compared to traditional advertisements. PR is much less expensive while providing key benefits for your business that traditional advertising cannot match, making PR a no-brainer for businesses that want to stand out in a unique and engaging way.
PR Raises Awareness and Increased Demand Naturally
PR agencies know how to tap into the media sources and editorials needed to gain your business maximum exposure, and the best aspect of this form of publicity is that your business will raise awareness naturally.
Unlike traditional advertising, PR will expose potential customers to your business without pandering to them in an obvious way that lets them know they are experiencing a business advertisement. Instead, you will interest customers in an organic and natural way that drives excited customers to your products without any of the negative drawbacks inherent to traditional advertising.
Utilizing a PR Agency Ensures Your Company Receives Media Exposure While Your Company Can Focus on Growing the Business
Most businesses need to engage with the public and receive attention to succeed, but juggling the many hats can become difficult. The main focus of a business should be on growing the business, and this is particularly true for small and medium-sized businesses.
While large businesses have the budget to create an in-house PR solution, many businesses do not have that luxury, but great PR is still achievable. Businesses can simply outsource that work to highly skilled PR agencies that will focus on getting your business the attention it deserves while your business can focus on continuing to provide excellent products and services.
PR Helps You Stand Out from Your Competition
For small businesses in particular, PR helps you stand out from the traditional practices of advertising. Receiving media attention and spreading positive attention about your business organically is a clever way to stand out in crowded industries or competitive small business communities.
Companies with smaller budgets can hire top PR agencies that will deliver results with a PR solution that is uniquely tailored to the needs of the business.
