What is public relations
Public relations is the art of convincing an audience—outside your usual circle of influence—to promote your idea, purchase your product, support your position, or recognize your accomplishments.
When you get down to it, public relations is simply how you tell your unique brand story.
For free.
PR is how today’s businesses are getting their message in front of their best clients and potential customers through activities like press releases, media pitches, hosting events, blogging, and managing influencers.
At its best, PR is a third-party endorsement from reputable media outlets that your brand is the go-to in your niche.
In fact, PR is the support function necessary to make conversations—especially social media ones—relevant, effective, and engaging with your target audience.
If you're new to PR, it may feel overwhelming to think about mastering all the promotional tactics that can be used.
I totally get that…
And yes, there are different tactics you'll need to learn. But, they all work together to create a foundation for your business: attracting your target audience, nurturing relationships, and making offers your dream customers will appreciate and respond to.
Let's take a closer look at how that happens, shall we?
How does PR work?
In many ways, PR is no different than traditional advertising.
In both, smart brands seek to develop mutually-beneficial relationships with their target audience.
But PR has more credibility than traditional advertising because it is designed to reach your target audience through tactics that don’t require you to pay for them.
As an example...
Think about the last important purchase you made.
Perhaps you purchased a new camera, hired someone to walk your dog, or changed up the location for your monthly girls-only happy hour.
Regardless of what it was, you probably began by searching the Internet or social media to learn more about available options, who provided them, and what your best solutions were.
Your ultimate buying decision was then based on the reviews you read, feedback from friends or family, and the options, features, and pricing you researched, plus if said solution appeared in any reputable media outlets.
Most purchasing decisions begin online, but end with credible third-party endorsements.
That being the case, a positive reputation and online presence is absolutely necessary—regardless of what you have to offer.
The key is to develop a PR strategy that puts you in all the places your target audience is already hanging out, then using a variety of PR tactics to connect with them back to your brand.
This could include PR tactics like:
Generating informative and educational blog content to keep your target audience updated on the latest industry news, how it impacts them, and how you can solve any problems that may arise as a result of the industry updates.
Crafting news-worthy and relevant media pitches that have media outlets standing in lining waiting to cover your brand in their latest TV segment, digital publication, or print magazine.
Sharing social media content that not only engages them in relevant conversation, but their friends and followers as well.
Distributing press releases that announce your latest offerings, big wins, and events to keep your target audience aware of what you’ve been up to.
Acquiring a consistent stream of reputable, third-party endorsements from both the media and industry influencers to show your target audience you’re the industry expert.
What are the benefits of PR?
The benefits of having a strategic PR plan are numerous; however, a few of my very favorites include:
It will make it easier to generate brand awareness so yours is always top of mind
It will help you build awareness and credibility with both new and potential customers
It will help protect and manage your brand’s image
It will kickstart word-of-mouth and social sharing—plus the benefits that come these
It will shorten the sales cycle by communicating right message to the right people
If you’ve made it this far, you can tell that when you put all these PR pieces together strategically, you end up with an efficient, easy-to-implement plan. And, while it may seem intimidating to build that plan from scratch, it's as simple as learning and integrating one PR tactic at a time—to reap some pretty huge and awesome benefits.
