PR has proven to be an effective way to reach potential customers. At its core, public relations entails gaining exposure to target audiences by using newsworthy stories and topics of public interest. And a key benefit for small business owners is the fact that PR initiatives typically do not require direct payment. This article is about the impact that leveraging PR opportunities can have on businesses.
What Can PR Do For Your Business?
PR seeks to obtain coverage for businesses for free. It is an earned media, rather than a paid media like advertising. PR can help your business in many ways including:
- Reputation management
- Brand awareness
- Lead generation
- Relationship building
Reputation Management
Negative search results can directly impact your sales, according to Moz
PR can be used to develop a positive impression of your company. You can strategically manage the release and spread of information about your brand to the public, with the intention being to positively impact their perception of you. PR allows you to cultivate a story that portrays your business, products and/or services, and accomplishments in a positive light.
Brand Awareness
Improving your brand visibility to let people know about your products and services increases your likelihood of getting more customers and sales. Leveraging PR can help you create brand awareness. By getting your business mentioned consistently in media outlets, people will become aware of it and more likely to patronize.
Brand awareness can increase revenue by 33%, according to Oberlo
Lead Generation
Research by tech PR agency ARPR shows that customers who learn about your business through a PR piece or click through to your website from a PR piece are 56.26% most likely to convert. This is because PR helps to attract qualified leads. If you’re consistently getting featured in the media through PR and your website is optimized to convert traffic, you can expect an improvement in sales.
Earned media coverage outperforms paid search when it comes to website engagement, according to ARPR
Relationship Building
PR can serve as a strategic marketing communication tool to build a mutually beneficial relationship with the public. It’s all about building trust with your target audience through reputable media outlets, which can help you build long-lasting trust with your customers. People tend to believe media content more than paid advertisements — only half of consumers trust paid ads, while 92% trust earned media — which means potential customers can earn more confidence to trust you.
How Do Small Businesses Get Their PR?
Small businesses can use PR to let people know they exist and to make them aware of the value they bring to customers. If you’re wondering how your small business can get PR, here are some tips.
- Share News About Your Business: Be your own media outlet and prioritize sharing news about your business on your website and social media platforms. Research the most-used social media platforms by your target audience and make it a point to consistently share information about your products and services.
- Write Guest Posts for High-Value Websites: Several high-value websites with large followings accept guest articles. Research these websites and submit high-quality articles to them with a link back to your site. By doing so, you are exposing your business to that website's visitors. Also, quality inbound links to your site can help improve your website ranking on search engines.
- Pitch Stories to the Media: Get in touch with media outlets to pitch compelling stories about your brand. If your story is interesting enough, it could get featured on their on-air programs, newspapers, magazines, etc.
- Get Featured in News Stories as an Expert: Reach out to journalists in your field and offer to be an expert or quotable source for their stories. You can also subscribe to a service like Help A Reporter Out (HARO) to be a source for news stories.
- Sponsor Community or Charity Events: Sponsoring local or charity events as a small business owner has multiple benefits beyond doing good. Not only does it bring great publicity to your business, but it also helps improve your reputation, build stronger brand equity and it’s an opportunity to network.
Why is PR Important in 2021 and Beyond?
2020 was a rough year for businesses due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As small businesses look toward recovery and opportunities in 2021 and beyond, PR can offer a competitive edge to help them stand out in the market.
The latest data shows that only 31% of small businesses take advantage of PR. Therefore by implementing a digital PR strategy that raises your online profile, boosts your credibility, and places your products and services in front of the right people, you can outshine your competition.
More than ever before, a good PR strategy is important because it allows you to build brand recognition, share your values and truly distinguish yourself from the rest.
What is a PR Strategy Example?
Did you know that 70% of publishers are open to receiving pitches that match what the topics that they cover? Media outreach is an effective strategy to earn PR. You can get your brand featured if you reach out to the right person with a pitch that shows how you fit into what they’re already doing.
How Do You Pitch the Media Like a Pro?
Understanding how to pitch the media is crucial to getting featured by media outlets. Keeping your pitch simple is important:
- Introduce yourself briefly
- Share your thoughts on how you can collaborate
- Attach your media kit for them to learn more about you
- Personalize your email (i.e. subject line, email copy, and pitch)
Note: Use your message to get their attention, your media kit to hold their attention, and then be open to your idea being a starting point for collaboration because they might want to go in a different direction with it.
In summary, PR is an efficient marketing tool. Understanding how to leverage a good PR strategy can aid business growth, especially when used in combination with digital marketing and advertising.
ABOUT BLACK GIRL PR™
Black Girl PR™ is a Black-owned PR consulting firm for Black womxn who want to shine online. The firm specializes in digital PR and digital marketing strategies that boost your digital presence and drive traffic to your website.
If you want to learn more about how to do this for your brand, check out our free case study video, "How To Get Publicity For Your Business Without Breaking The Bank."
