Public Relations is essential for the success of every business.

Include Public Relations (PR) in your mainstream marketing – it is not an add on, something that you do after everything else.   PR needs to be one of the elements of marketing your company uses to achieve its strategic objectives.

Often PR is the buzzword in marketing chatter, as though the benefits are not understood. People often see it as a party or socializing and even free advertising.

When I tell people what I do for a living, I’m often met with blank stares. Even among those who are supposed to know better, public relations is an ambiguously defined industry.

For informed people, the term public relations fills their minds with all the “backstage” processes used to create awareness— everything from building relationships with the media; speaking at industry events, product endorsements, and hosting events for clients to build goodwill and visibility

The company strategy

Many companies make the mistake of not considering public relations in their strategies as they move from the launch period and start the long road toward profitability. Public relations, media relations and earned media coverage don’t stop after a launch. It should be part of any growing brand’s marketing toolkit, and it should become a key part of your brand’s strategy.

Important for Growing Businesses

As a business grows, it often becomes a more prominent element in the community and industry.

Your name recognition will be higher, and more people will notice you and turn their heads your business is mentioned.  This means improved opportunities for using public relations as a bigger part of your marketing mix. PR is an excellent tool because it gives you exposure you don’t have to pay for directly.

Integrate PR with Marketing Activities

There is no easy button to generate great PR results. Truly effective PR is the result of relationships and credibility built over time.

So, what is the perfect plan? Integrate PR efforts with your ongoing marketing activities.

There are simple, time-effective ways that you can amp up your PR efforts, while continuing to effectively market with email, social media, and other campaigns.

You will succeed if you make your public relations campaign and integral part of your marketing mix.

Is PR the same as Advertising?

In many ways, Public Relations is the opposite of advertising.  In advertising, you pay to have your message placed in a print, TV or radio spot and the digital space.  Brands can buy space on billboards or buses.

On the other hand, public relations shapes and molds a client’s image in a very different way to advertising.

We know that investing in traditional marketing is immensely expensive and for most small companies, it is not an option.

This is where the public relations professionals come to the fore to promote a brand or business. The public relations practitioner formulates a campaign to meet the client’s objectives.  Although this service is not free, is extremely cost effective and will help your business thrive.

Publicity has credibility and therefore greater longevity than advertising.   An article in any medium will be remembered far longer than an advertisement.

Is PR just Free Advertising?

Many people refer to PR as ‘free advertising.’ This could not be farther from the truth. It is not advertising, nor is it free.

Without a doubt public relations, when done well, is a time consuming and labour intensive process.  And I truly believe that today, PR can make the claim that it’ll give your business the best return for its marketing budget.

So much of PR is about brand building and reputation management – something so often lacking today in the age of quick fixes and social media.

Conclusion

The successful implementation of a public relations strategy can be a critical component to a marketing plan. A PR strategy plays a key role in an organization’s promotional strategy. Public relations is one of the most effective methods to communicate and relate to the market.

There is a great deal more to public relations and what it can achieve. If you would like help, please contact Shirley Williams at SWC on shirley@shirleywilliams.co.za