Should You Take the Plunge into PR?

As the New Year approaches, it’s likely you’re thinking about how to make it the best year for your business yet.

For many this will likely involve looking at your marketing programme and identifying the best channels for reaching your target market. PR may be one of them. If it is then there are a few things you should consider before jumping in.

Selling business to business products and services is tough at the best of times. Margins are decreasing, competition is increasing and cutting through the noise of your competitors can be a struggle. You need an edge and being seen in the media can provide it.

Here’s the thing. Successfully using the media to your advantage takes time and effort. While individual pieces of media coverage can turn heads, consistently getting seen, heard or read by your target market is the real key to success.

The problem, consistency requires content and it can’t be any old content. It’s got to make the media stand up and pay attention. Super brands have it easy. They have media worthy content in abundance. Many growing businesses are not so lucky.

SMEs need to be more strategic in the way that they work with the media.

There will certainly be some natural opportunities to get coverage. The rest of the time you will have to work closely with your agency to develop content that converts into headlines.

To ensure that you don’t waste time and money, it might be worth considering the following before you get going?

• Do you know where the natural coverage opportunities exist in your company today?
• How can you make the most of the media coverage that you do get so that it continues to make an impact long after it has appeared?
• What systems and processes do you have in place to get media coverage once the natural opportunities run out?

Having said that, today you don’t necessarily need to engage with the media month in month out (or at all) to build a successful public relations programme.

Savvy business owners appreciate that the media is nothing more than a channel to their target market. A powerful one to be sure, but certainly not the only one.

They are now working with their PR agencies to find alternative pathways to influence and maintain contact with their target market at all times.

If you’re not sure whether the media route is for you or would like to explore other avenues for attracting your target market to your business, please feel free to give us a call.