A recent report commissioned by the website: Mynewsdesk, has revealed that 87% of UK small and medium-sized businesses do not have a cohesive PR strategy; with 57% of respondents declaring that their company’s PR operates on an “ad-hoc basis” and 30% of businesses admitting to having no plan at all.
This is pretty staggering stuff really when you consider what a useful tool PR is to have in your communications armoury.
Firms that use PR rarely or sporadically to attract attention to their business, will frequently be the first to complain that their outfit doesn’t receive enough media attention. But unless your business unwittingly falls under the media radar for negative reasons, it is unlikely you will receive a steady stream of positive publicity unless it is planned.
Every successful PR campaign should begin with clearly defined objectives – benchmarks, if you like – which will form the basis of your PR strategy.
PR training from leading media relations’ experts can certainly give your company a competitive edge when it comes to writing successful press releases, communicating with journalists, and publicising your business through audio and video channels.
However, good PR is worth so much more than merely securing ‘column inches’ or broadcast seconds. Done effectively it can strongly influence other aspects of your sales and marketing operations.
For instance, it could help your website gain better search rankings, deliver targeted traffic to your site and build powerful back-links that will boost your SEO. Plus your news has the potential to be picked up by media sites, blogs, TV and social media. Indeed some PR campaigns launched on the strength of a single press release, have been known to take on a life of their own (go viral).
Just like any other form of marketing, all your PR activities should be measurable to ensure they provide a sound return on investment. According to the survey, 49% of business owners recognised the benefits of using PR in their business, but felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of communications outlets available to them.
PR training from leading industry experts can be a sound investment for the enterprising entrepreneur (that’s you). It will empower your organisation to harness a successful PR strategy that will really get your business talked about.
“If I was down to my last dollar I would spend it on PR.” – Bill Gates
“Publicity is absolutely critical. A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front page ad.” – Richard Branson
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