Should You Invest in PR?
There’s no way around it - 2020 has been a bad year for the economy, with many companies looking at how and where they can cut costs.
Whether you are an established brand or you’re starting a brand-new business, in addition to cutting operation costs, you’re probably being very careful with your marketing budget. While you know that public relations is essential for your business, you may be wondering if it’s something that you should be spending money on right now.
We’re here to tell you that yes, public relations is always worth the investment. In fact, in an uncertain economy, it could be one of the best things you can do if you want to ensure that your company thrives.
Here are five reasons why.
PR allows you to tell your brand story and protect your image
Your brand story is yours, and you should be the one to tell it. The media, the public and your competitors will all come to have an opinion on your brand, whether you like it or not. While you’ll never be able to control the media and public opinion, by not investing in PR, you’re handing the full narrative over to others, which could harm your brand image, and in turn, your profits. Also, if you find your company on the receiving end of bad press, a solid PR strategy will give you the ability to change the conversation.
Networking and access to a little black book
In PR, it’s not what you know, but who you know. By investing in a reputable public relations agency, you’ll benefit from their media contacts, resulting in placements with outlets that would probably not even open your email if you had contacted them yourself. A well-connected agency will also be able to secure lucrative partnerships for your brand by introducing you to relevant contacts in your industry which will go on to pay dividends in the future.
PR goes hand-in-hand with your sales efforts
Public relations is not a replacement for advertising or social media marketing, but it will complement and amplify these efforts. Earned media coverage with a respected outlet gives you instant credibility and when shared with your audience via social media or other marketing activities, it may just be what closes a sale.
Press coverage will boost your SEO
You probably already invest either time or money in SEO, but despite all best efforts, you’re still not on the first page of Google. SEO is always going to be a waiting game, especially if your website is new, but online coverage with backlinks will have a powerful effect on your SEO and keyword rankings. This is especially true if the coverage is with a respected and established website with a high UVM (Unique Visitors per Month) that already ranks highly on search engines.
Keeps your brand message current, relevant and fresh
A great publicist will continuously be working with you to keep your brand message fresh, and relevant. They will keep an eye on what’s trending, and come up with the perfect pitch to help you launch new products, or share exciting news about your company. When you’re doing it on your own, it can be too easy to keep telling the same old story. With a great public relations agency as your secret weapon, you’ll always be one step ahead.
Are you ready to invest in PR for your business? We are a team of well-connected PR professionals with a strong track record of securing unbeatable press for our clients. Contact us today to find out more.