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What is PR? Defined and explained.
Today companies show more and more interest in how digital marketing can help to raise brand awareness, improve reputations, and generate leads. While investing in services like social media, search engine optimisation, and pay-per-click are essential, they form just part of your all-encompassing marketing strategy.
One method of marketing that has stood the test of time and really helps to build the foundations of brand awareness and reputation management for companies is public relations (PR). The question is what is PR and how can it be beneficial to businesses?
Read on for more.
Understanding PR
The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) defines public relations as the discipline that looks after reputation and generates understanding and support by influencing behaviour and opinion.
Without a doubt, every fabricator, installer or supplier, no matter its size, depends on its reputation to survive and thrive. Every person who comes into contact with your company will create an opinion based on either their own personal experience or a perception which has been formed from something they’ve heard or seen. These perceptions will influence their decision, and from this they’ll know if they want to work with you or not.
With the current state of the market, it’s more important than ever companies invest in activities which will help to build their reputation by painting a positive picture of the business. Ultimately, a great reputation can give a business the edge it needs to stand out above its competitors.
Why invest in PR?
PR is a fantastic way to market a company, and here’s why it’s so beneficial.
PR builds trust and credibility
PR is a powerful tool that helps to create and build trust over time. Whether your PR activity focuses primarily on the B2B or B2C market, success comes from drip-feeding information to key audiences to help build a picture of an organisation and position it as a trusted company.
Nowadays, potential customers are likely to do their homework on any company they’re considering working with, particularly before deciding if they’re the right choice for them.
Third-party validation is a great way to create trust through recommendations, testimonials, accreditations, awards and reviews.
Having genuine, recent testimonials from your stakeholders is a great way to build trust and credibility. Customer case studies are particularly useful to showcase projects which may be similar to the one a prospective client could be considering. While staff endorsements help to lift the curtain on how a business truly operates and therefore, can help to reinforce why it’s a credible company.
Awards and accreditations not only help a business to stand out from its competitors but also shows the real value of its products and services according to independent judges, helping to strengthen external reputation and trust.
PR increases brand awareness
PR comes in many forms but at Purplex we’ve worked with hundreds of clients over the years, producing a series of press releases and feature articles that showcase a company, its products, services, and achievements.
Whether the piece focuses on the latest company news or is more of an opinion piece from the MD, each article that gets published in a magazine or website, relevant to the industry and target audience, shows the reader that your business and team are credible, reliable and knowledgeable.
No matter if the PR coverage secured is paid or earned, it’s fantastic for increasing the overall visibility and awareness of a brand with a specific audience.
PR attracts prospects
Although digital marketing techniques are better suited to lead generation, PR supports and compliments every digital marketing strategy.
By working with a full-service agency, a company will have a robust plan in place which incorporates a full range of marketing activities. Producing regular PR content that’s frequently published in either the national, regional or trade press at the same time that a pay-per-click campaign is running and social media posts are being shared, will only help to attract more prospects to your business.
Want to learn more?
We hope this blog has helped to give an understanding of the benefits of public relations. If you want to learn more, get in touch today to find out how we can support you with your own PR and marketing activity.
