Public relations is about protecting and promoting your brand. If you are a fan of the hit NBC show This is Us, you may remember the Crock-Pot saga. The show revealed that the beloved father in the show was killed in a fire ignited by a faulty Crock-Pot.
Crock-Pot’s corporate office took action immediately and addressed the show perfectly by saying “Last night’s episode was heart-breaking…and we are still not over it either.” They took action to prevent damage to their brand and reputationโand did it perfectly.
Wondering how to handle your small business public relations? Keep reading for some public relations tips to help you promote and protect your brand.
1. Be Active on Social Media
Being active on social media is one of the most organic ways to spread your message and brand. It helps maintain and build your visibility and customer base. Make sure you post specific and consistent material that exemplifies your brand and what your company stands for.
Social media also gives your customers a platform to give feedback, ask questions, and share with others. Using Linkedin, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook is a great way to advertise and network your company with others economically.
2. Know Your Audience
One of the most important rules to get the impact you want is to know your audience. Remember, not all audiences are the same, so you may have to reach them differently. Some people you can reach through social media, and others you may have to reach through events.
Just make sure you know which audience you are trying to reach when crafting your message.
3. Get Organized With Your Public Relations
Public relations strategies involve planned activities and organization. Create a calendar so you can organize your activities. You should also create a contact list for personalities, customers, media, opinion leaders, and other similar companies you want to work and collaborate with.
If you send a press release about a new product or service, make sure you have insightful quotes and get the point quickly. You should also have a canned company history that is easy to share.
Create a contact point for your company and include the contact details, or if you choose a public relations company, like Mind Meld PR Agency, you should point the media to them.
4. Create Compelling Content
What is public relations? Public relations is about sharing the right information in the right places with the right people. It helps you build your brand reputation.
Make sure your message includes content that is relevant, creates curiosity, generates urgency, and creates emotion with your audience.
5. Use Customer Stories
Using your customers’ stories is a great way to build trust and brand awareness. Talk to your customers and ask them to share your products and brand. You want them to tell how your product or services helped them solve a problem.
These stories are more than just testimonials. You can publish and share these stories on your site. Your loyal customers will be happy to recommend your business and help spread the word, and you can give them a reward for doing so.
Ready to Get Started?
Now, that you know about public relations and how it can help your brand and company it’s important to take action with these steps. Make sure you know your “why” and create your plan. Be consistent and stay organized, and remember social media can be your friend if you stay proactive.
Want to learn more about promoting your business? Check out our Business section for more great advice.
