What is Public Relation aka PR?
More or less, we all know what PR or Public Relations is.
Here’s how PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) defines PR:
“Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”
So, basically PR encourages people to think and speak positively about your business thus, improves the reputation of your business or product.
How does PR work?
There are three key components of PR:
- Distributing effective, newsworthy press releases, to entice journalists, bloggers, and broadcasters to give you coverage;
- Responding to journalists’ requests for spokespeople, comments and case studies, providing real-life examples to make their copy interesting;
- Engaging with chatter on social media, whether through Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram, or simply by posting a blog.
But it’s not just what you say that’s important. It’s what you do too, and how you act.
Two additional elements that come under PR are, therefore:
- your community engagement – how you support your community and recognize the value that your customers bring to you;
- your customer engagement – responding to customer inquiries, testimonials, and complaints in a consistent and fairway.
How can PR help your business?
PR is part of your overall marketing strategy. It covers all aspects that might influence the opinion others to have of your business and sits alongside your website, your brand image, and your marketing campaigns.
Advertising, promotions, and email marketing are all important, but third party endorsements – in other words, what trusted third parties say about you – is just as valuable as all of these. Which is where your PR comes in. Experts would tell you that positive third-party comments are three times more effective than advertising in winning customers.
Just as a side benefit too, managed shrewdly, PR is materially more cost-effective marketing than simple advertising.
PR can also boost your sales. How? See this infographic.
With over 63% of the value of most companies dependent on their public image, public relation has become a very important topic today for numerous reasons:
1. Builds Up The Brand Image
The brand image gets a boost when the target customers get to know about it through a third-party media outlet. A good public relation strategy helps the brand builds up its image in a way it wants to.
2. It’s Opportunistic
Public relation strategies make the brand capitalize on the opportunities. Google was in the news for donating to Ebola. Facebook promoted LGBTQ rights. Coca-Cola did a PR stunt against obesity.
These opportunities even attract many influencers to share the brand story with their followers.
3. Promote Brand Values
PR is used to send out positive messages which are in line with the brand’s value and its image. This builds up the brand’s reputation.
4. Strengthen Community Relations
PR strategies are used to convey that the brand is as much part of society as the target audience. This builds up a strong relationship with the brand with the public.
Whatever PR means to you and whatever expectations you have in this respect, when done well, good PR can be much more effective than advertising.
Now that you know about PR, if you want to know a few tips and tricks you might love to watch this video attached.
If you’d like to know initiating a PR campaign can help your business. Contact us for a PR Service in Bangladesh.
