Public relations (PR) is one of the best ways to drum up word-of-mouth for your business. However, it can be expensive and tough to know where to start:
- Who do you contact?
- What do you write?
- Which platforms are best for your business?
So, to help you make these decisions, here are five steps that you can take today to help you to take charge of the PR for your business:
Steps to Public Relations for your business
Step 1 – Create a press kit
A press kit contains all the information about your business that a client (or journalist) would need or want. This could include a fact sheet, company profile, photos, articles or customer referrals.
In addition, if you run a knowledge-based business such as a law or accounting firm you should put the CVs of your experts into the press kit and send these to relevant journalists so that when they need commentary in an article they are writing in your particular subject area you will be top of mind for them.
Step 2 – Use the right marketing tools for your business
Social media, billboards, pay-per-click advertising, print or radio adverts – these are just some of the marketing tools you could use for your business. The correct marketing tools for you will depend on your target audience, your budget, and the goals you want to reach.
Most importantly, when choosing your marketing communications mix for your company, you need to make sure that you keep your budget in mind and stick to it. For example, if you’re a small start-up, with a limited budget, you mustn’t get into debt and take out a sky-high billboard. Opt for advertising that is within your budget such as social media advertising, which is extremely affordable and has a very high ROI.
Step 3 – Utilise web marketing
Paid advertising is a great way to take charge of your business’ PR. You can target potential customers through keyword search marketing tools and ensure the people who matter find you online.
Search Engine Optimisation (or SEO) is a very important tool to use in order to make sure that people can find your business online. It does this by inserting keywords that people – who are looking for a business like yours will search for – into the copy of your website.