Why Public Relations Is More Important Than Ever

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PR or public relations in it’s long form is vital for any business. We usually think of it as some kind of concept that is only relevant when things go wrong. When times are tough, you feel the need to reach out to customers, the media and industry experts to let them know what you are thinking or doing. However, public relations are actually a proactive tool or at least, it can be. You can shape the conversation about something, take the lead in being a voice of reason or information and sometimes, influence very important entities. Public relations has many forms but most business owners only see it as a form of damage control. Here are some ways you can use public relations to your advantage.

Protecting reputation

PR could very well be short for protecting your reputation. This is how most business owners see their own PR departments. So, let’s focus on this area first as it’s probably more important to you now. 

How could you protect your reputation?

• The simplest way is to send a social media message. If something bad happens and you want to clear things up, take the time to write a considered and detailed social media post. This can be done in long form on all three of the biggest social media platforms, i.e. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
• Do an interview. The local, regional or national media can be a tool that you can use to your advantage. This can be mostly done through an interview, but be warned, you need to prepare for tough questions.
• When something bad happens, be on the scene. Take a photo of your team fixing the issue, communicate what happened, what you’re doing to fix it and when normal service will resume.

PR for your industry

Every industry needs to have a different approach to public relations. For example, if you are a steel manufacturing company, you will need a public relations team that understands the risks involved in your line of work and what would be most important to those that are affected. If you are a clothing company, you’ll need to understand the moral issues about fast fashion, workers’ rights, polluting factories etc. 

This is why if you are a technology business, you should seek out tech pr firms that have knowledge of both B2B and B2C public relations. In this particular case a good B2B tech pr firm will allow you to make the best impression when seeking to work with another business whether it’s for joint ventures or partnerships. The strategies they will entertain are media coverage, online reviews, influencer marketing and being able to appear in the press in the best possible light. This way, you can show your B2B partner that you are known, liked and seen as a valued thought leader in the industry.

The new media line

You should never arrive at a tipping point when it comes to your public image, this is why new media forms are so crucial to your brand. So what are these ‘new’ media concepts?

• Business blogs. Although blogs have been around for a while, business blogs are very new. You can use it as a one-stop place for new and exclusive information. 
• Social media live streams. It’s not just business owners that are using the live stream feature on social media platforms, world leaders are doing so too. Everyone from presidents, figureheads and entrepreneurs are using live streaming, to answer questions that people have sent them.
• Another new media type is YouTube. You can make all kinds of videos to boost your image and connect people to your brand. It’s perhaps the best form to use as you have total control over what the public is shown. 

Using new media forms has to be done carefully. It’s vital older business owners do not appear out of touch with the main demographic that uses these types of media forms, i.e. younger audiences. Try not to appear corporate, dress down a little bit and speak to the camera as if they were sitting right next to you. You can also do selfie video interviews as this can break down the fourth wall and allow customers to get close to you.

Public relations are more important than ever. Thanks to the pandemic, we have to be more careful regarding our public image, how we come across as business leaders and utilize new media to reach younger audiences.

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