Imagine a secret superpower that made someone say the right thing at the right time in any social situation.
A first date. A job interview. A sales presentation.
That person would never be stuck for words. There would be no awkward small talk. Nothing would be lost in translation.
That's kind of like public relations. Or PR, for short. It's the practice of managing the information that flows from an organization to the public and the media. It's a way to shape consumer opinion. Or to influence consumer behavior. Or to get media organizations to cover a brand's news and announcements.
It's the best way to engage with the public.
When brands want to communicate, they call on marketing experts that specialize in PR to communicate for them. That's because these experts say the right thing at the right time in almost any situation.
These experts give brands a voice.
In this guide, learn all about the power of good PR and why it matters to every single business.
PR, Explained
PR is a marketing strategy used by successful businesses to communicate messages to the public and media. Those messages can be good. (Say when a company launches a new product or service.) Or bad. (When a company experiences a data hack that puts customer data at risk.) Or somewhere in between. It's the job of a marketing and PR expert to take that message, spin it into something positive, and generate good publicity for a client.
"PR activities are centered on reputation building, positioning, and helping a company establish itself as a trusted authority in its industry," says Forbes magazine. Great PR helps that company build credibility, manage crises, and maintain its reputation.
PR is critical because how the public (and media) perceives brands matters. An organization with an excellent reputation might generate lots of business opportunities based on its name alone. An organization with a poor reputation might struggle to attract new customers. That's why more companies are spending their marketing budgets on PR.
Experts predicted that worldwide PR revenue would grow from $14 billion in 2016 to around $19.3 billion in 2020.
Why Is PR Valuable to a Business?
Here are some reasons PR is valuable to businesses in all industries:
Brand Awareness
There's a direct correlation between PR and brand awareness. A company that invests in PR can increase the exposure of its products and services across various channels. That exposure can bring new customers and sales opportunities.
Website Traffic
Successful PR cultivates a brand's name and trustworthiness, encouraging more customers to visit its website. With more site traffic come more potential revenue opportunities for an organization.
SEO Value
Search engines like Google prioritize results from dependable brands, and those brands generate more organic web traffic. When a digital marketing company improves (or maintains) an organization's reputation, it also enhances the organization's SEO value.
How Social PR Introduces Brands to the Public
For decades, marketing and PR experts introduced brands to the public via radio, television, and newspapers. Now these experts also concentrate on digital platforms. When done right, introducing a brand's products and services to digital audiences can generate an incredible amount of interest and lead to new sales and marketing opportunities.
PR specialists might communicate brand messages to the public and media via:
Niche blogs that target specific audiences interested in a brand's products/services.
Online journals and magazines that reach segmented audiences with shared interests.
Social media influencers with hundreds of thousands or millions of followers worldwide.
Final Word
When brands want to engage with the public, they invest in PR. It's that simple. A marketing expert that specializes in public relations can communicate the right messages at the right time for better brand awareness, more website traffic, and increased SEO value.