What Does PR Do For a Company?

The worlds of public relations and integrated marketing are filled with buzz words and acronyms! We’re sure you’ve heard them a time or two – KPIs (key performance indicators), CPMs (cost per thousand), metrics, custom conversions, optimization, amplification, and the list goes on and on. Not that the M studio team hasn’t used these terms once or twice …

All joking aside, language of this ilk is often necessary to communicate plans of action and strategies that drive results for clients. Companies looking for public relations support need to get down to the nitty-gritty and ask what a PR program can to do for their company. Public relations isn’t tangible; you can’t feel it like a business card, shop it like a new e-commerce website, or follow it on social media. As such, companies venturing into the world of PR should do so with a clear understanding of the necessary actions attributed to successful PR outcomes. Then, they must believe in the strategy and understand how ongoing media relations, content development, editorial planning and expert positioning can support lead generation, digital strategy, and their overall marketing goals.

So, when asking the question, “what can PR do for my company?”, consider the following:

Public Relations Builds Credibility

Good PR strategies create credibility that advertising just can’t compete with. When a media outlet publicizes a company (or a person or product for that matter), the editorial endorsement instantly makes the business more credible in the eyes of the public. This can translate to increased website traffic (if there is an online component to the story), social sharing, and the oh-so-popular word of mouth conversations like … “did you see her company was in the news” or “did you hear they opened a second location …”

Public Relations Attracts New Customers

Equally as important as the credibility component, is PR’s ability to put your brand in front of new audiences and attract new customers. When a guest blog post goes live, or a business feature runs in Entrepreneur, new eyes are seeing your brand and, if your story is compelling enough, resonating with readers who hopefully are compelled to share it with their network.

Public Relations is a Catalyst for Social Amplification

What better way to share your story and communicate your value proposition than by taking the ultimate editorial endorsements and amplifying them on your social channels and online hubs? Don’t let that magazine feature fall by the wayside when you can post it on Facebook, spotlight it on your website, or Tweet your recent PR placements! Let your audience know that you are an industry leader, and track the public’s continued responses to your media placements.

Public Relations is Cost-Effective

Yes, yes, we said it … PR is cost-effective! While public relations involves substantial time and long-lead strategies, the returns are often well worth a company’s while. Diverse in their tactics and in their impact, PR investments involve cohesive messaging and communication development that can evolve with a company for months and even years; create unique analytic opportunities that support digital marketing and SEO strategies; and support audience targeting and re-targeting as well as lead generation.

The list can go on and on. If you are considering launching a PR campaign, think about these 4 components when meeting with your team or an outside agency. Then, take the PR plunge!

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