WHY PUBLIC RELATIONS IS IMPORTANT TO BUSINESS

Public relations (PR) can be a tool seemingly undervalued by businesses or individuals as they look to create awareness of their brand or services.

One of the main reasons for this is that people don’t understand fully what it is and why it is important.

The Oxford Dictionary describes PR as “the business of giving the public information about a particular organisation or person in order to create a good impression”. Essentially it can help build an audience and also improve the relationship between a company/individual and the public.

From raising media awareness to creating engaging copy that gets people talking about you, it doesn’t matter which sector you fall in to, PR allows your voice to be heard and understood by target customers and stakeholders to provide business results that create long-term success.

Generates business leads

If you are working in the B2B sector and your main goal is to generate more leads, then PR can help a company become more visible to future prospects. The powers of media relations and securing carefully crafted content in a key media title can play a huge role in connecting with target audiences. This can be of value especially at the beginning stages of a company’s life.

Strengthen brand identity

A public relations strategy can create a strong brand identity through clarifying and communicating a company’s key messages so that they stand out amongst the crowd.

Think B-Corp certified Bodyshop’s ‘A new force for good in beauty’ or Ecover’s ‘Let’s live clean’ – you want the public to remember your brand as soon as they hear your catchy tagline.

PR can help you find your USP, your tone of voice and can share your story with the world. It’s true when they say a good story, told well, can help customers connect emotionally with the brand.

Once these guidelines have been put in place, PR can help address the right channels to use to target your desired audience. This can amplify a brands message, through creating strong content and generating coverage, whether this be using a digital strategy involving social media or via a more traditional route.

Boosts sales

Over the past year we have seen the popularity of the social networking site TikTok, as a way of sharing content, and more people turning to online as they read the news.

A good PR agency will understand that the digital revolution and the constant development of new consumer trends means the way to approach a target audience is ever-changing. But essentially, it is our job to keep up with them so you don’t have to.

PR takes each business or individual as unique, creating a personalised strategy to cement a brands identity and connect with consumers in the right way. This increases credibility and trust, making all the difference when it comes to sales and having customers choose your products over competitors.