PR for Small Businesses
How PR can Put a Small or Start-Up Company on the Path to Success
Many small business owners mistakenly see public relations as something reserved only for the rich and famous. Find out how PR can be both highly effective and affordable
A solid public relations campaign is just as vital for small businesses as it is for the corporate giants. A well executed public relations campaign can increase name recognition, bolster an organisation's credibility, educate people on what the business does and how it can benefit them, generate ‘word of mouth’ advertising as well as increase employee motivation and morale. Each of these outcomes is important for the success of a small or new company. It is incredibly difficult to sell a product or a service if nobody has ever heard of you.
PR Can Save You Money
PR is one of the most cost effective marketing tools, as Peter Boyes, managing director of New Zealand based PR consultancy, Intermediary Communications, explains:
'In terms of bang for your buck, public relations is actually much more cost effective than traditional advertising. On top of this, if you implement a PR programme in the early stages then you will get much more value for money out of your advertising campaign later on.
Your PR consultancy should be able to demonstrate that they are providing you with a return on your investment (ROI). Evaluation methods may include a study of the target audience, result evaluation or reputation analysis, using tools such as surveys, audits, content analysis and opinion polls.'
Should You Tackle Your PR Alone?
Having been convinced that PR is the way to go, many small business owners may choose to tackle public relations themselves rather than pay somebody else to do it. However, according to Peter, this may not be the best tactic, at least not initially:
'I would not recommend a small or new business owner to attempt public relations on their own, unless they have had previous experience. It is a good idea to bring a PR professional onboard to help establish a strategy and jump-start the PR programme. Once they have set the PR programme in motion then you will probably only need to call the consultant in on an as-needed basis.'
Public Relations without Hiring a Consultancy
That is not to say that small businesses cannot do any of the PR themselves. A good way of kicking things off is to put together a media list containing all the newspapers, magazines, radio stations and TV channels that a business owner feels would get their messages out to their key audiences. The World Wide Web is also a great place to get started. For example, setting up an own online blog allows businesspeople to position their business in the eyes of the customer, their industry and the press. It also allows them to engage with potential customers and partners.’
Public Relations is not as intangible and as confusing as many people believe and it is certainly not a communications tool reserved for the large, the rich and the successful. On the contrary, PR is just as, if not more, important, for small or start-up companies that need their brand identities laid out and their reputations established. It should be a vital part of every small company’s business plan, right from the start. The results, including increased sales, customer loyalty, brand recognition and awareness of the business and what it does, are more than worth it.
More information on public relations for small businesses can be found by reading these articles on 'Writing Perfect Press Releases' and 'Online Marketing: Where to Start'.
