Last week, we discussed the benefits of a public relations campaign for a small business and compared the pros and cons of that with customary marketing campaigns.
We have concluded that consistent PR campaigns help create awareness of the products or services of a small company, with the increased visibility creating a larger and more established image of the company.
Public relations (PR) is frequently brought up when discussing large organisations. The phrase itself may have come to imply corporate supremacy, conjuring up images of powerful communications agencies employed by powerful companies to influence public opinion. However, a PR strategy can be used effectively in small businesses and reap the same benefits as a larger organisation in terms of strengthening the relationship between the business and its customers. The small business PR strategy cannot be implemented without disregarding the constraints imposed by factors such as your resources, your current workload, or the number of current employees you have. By nature, small firms can rarely afford to invest a lot of time or money in brand-new endeavors. Therefore, the first step is to analyse whether using your limited resources for PR is worth it.
The answer is that it depends. The assumption of similarity among businesses, or even over time within the same business, is not a good strategy for small businesses. Hence, before ramping up a marketing campaign, your organisation may need to concentrate on other tasks such as reducing inefficiencies, staffing, product development, and so forth.
As the first step, you should identify your audience and understand their general behaviour. You must get inside their minds to determine what they expect from a supplier and why they should choose your company over the competitors. The public relations strategies of a small enterprise must contain a total understanding of the emotional and pragmatic motivations of the identified customer segment that receives the message. Establishing media relationships is imperative when planning a PR campaign. Constant communication, before and after a campaign, with media professionals and maintaining a good rapport with them is useful in the long run. Usually, advertising agencies are expensive and unaffordable for small entities. Hence, individual interactions with media personnel are immensely beneficial for low-budget PR efforts.
While conventional media is effective for business-to-consumer products or services, business-to-business PR campaigns require PR content in trade journals and magazines in addition to print media.
All your successful media relationships will be useless if you do not provide things for the media to report on. Hence, in order to craft a compelling story pitch, you must give them timely and pertinent information that will help them.
Your credibility will increase if your message is educational rather than promotional. There is no argument that the company has to promote its business, yet it needs to be done in the context of news and information that is relevant to everyone.
If the content has the tone of a paid advertisement, the real value of the message can become weak. Therefore, consider what your company has to offer that a reporter or feature writer would be interested in, and then volunteer to assist.
Hosting an event is an effective strategy. The goal of hosting an event is to create a venue for inviting the public and the media. The media is the most important component of any public relations strategy since any coverage you receive will help promote your business beyond event attendees.
Think of holding a ceremony for your new location or a workshop where you can show off your newest products or additions to machinery and equipment. Organise a gathering in your store if you’re a retailer, such as a fashion show showing the season’s most stylish attire. Hold a culinary demonstration with a chef if your company is in the food industry.
You (or a suitable staff member) can offer to speak at groups such as clubs and community events, as well as any other gatherings where your clients are likely to be present. Speaking in front of a crowd makes you an authority on the subject right away, and the audience pays close attention to what you have to say. However, avoid turning your chat into a blatant sales pitch by keeping it educational and informative. Your experience and skills will speak for themselves.
If most of your sales are B2B, volunteer to speak at industry trade shows, conferences, and organisation gatherings. Send out invitations to your speaking event and invite any interested media. If necessary, work with an industry expert from outside to enhance the content. For example, if your business is in the food industry, work with a professional chef on the presentation.
By establishing partnerships with a variety of charities or nonprofits, even without direct ties to the products sold by your company, you can reach a wider audience. Choose a cause that matters to both you and your audience, then contribute to it.
This not only enhances your reputation as a trustworthy business but is also advantageous to those in the audience. This is a good way to spread the message of trustworthiness to potential customers. Most likely, the organisation you’re helping will spread the word about your engagement on its own, but in return, do not forget to do the same to spread the word about such a good cause.
News releases are extremely effective in PR campaigns, whether the organisation is large or small. A compelling news release is accepted by the audience more than any type of expensive advertisement. You must make sure that the press release is appropriate for your target audience, newsworthy, and professionally written with proper language.
In public relations campaigns, a strategy for online marketing is also necessary for digital presence. You can visit any discussion forums or online communities that your customers may frequent. You can post creatively compiled messages that are enlightening and informative.
Starting a blog is a good support tool for a PR campaign. Blogs are easy platforms to use and learn. Your chances of showing up in popular search engines increase as you write, making it easier for people to find you. You can generate your own promotion via social media, so you don’t have to rely on others. It should therefore be one of your first PR channels to master.
Planning your own publicity campaigns is just as important in a small business as the rest of the operations. Therefore, you must provide due attention to the criteria, such as the best seasons and holidays and other similar events where the audience may get distracted, to avoid such situations.
The timing of a PR campaign is a crucial point when planning strategies. For example, a campaign should not be launched when a serious medical problem emerges in a town where the public is more concerned about the outbreak’s news. On the other hand, if your business is related to the medical field, offering advice through press campaigns will be highly accepted and appreciated.
Finally, be aware of external events at the same time and know when to avoid pursuing exposure. Hold off on your news till things calm down if a big news story is breaking or if something else has the media’s full attention.