Public Relations (PR), just like advertising, help to promote a business’s products, services and experiences through various, sometimes similar techniques, however, unlike advertising, Public Relations (PR) is responsible for building relationships with customers, media, and other key stakeholders of the business.
Every business aims to build a positive image of itself in the eyes of the public which includes customers, media, and others (target groups). Additionally, whenever a business organizes a campaign that is meant for a social cause, it would want to inform the target groups in the most impactful manner possible. Moreover, getting sight of influential personalities and maintaining a fruitful relationship with them is another key goal of any business. Through the help of effective PR, a business can achieve all of this which in turn generates goodwill and stimulates the business’s sales and profits.
There are innumerable ways in which an organization is benefitted from PR and as mentioned above, many of those tactics are associated with marketing. Let’s have a look at some of them:
1. Being written about by the Media : Media relations play a huge role in the PR of any business or organization since media is what helps to get the word out there! By creating positive coverage around the business, its products, and its services, a media outlet can be integral in generating goodwill for the business amongst the customers, which will boost sales.
For example: An interview conducted by a reputed media organization of the business’s founder for a product launch may help to create a stir about the product in the market.
2. Role of influencers : Influencers could include Instagram influencers, celebrities, thought leaders, or any known public personality who joins your business with the intention to endorse your products. PR help to reach such influencers and create a strategy that would yield the maximum results out of their endorsement. Since influencers are followed by a mass audience, it is an impactful way to reach many people in one shot!
For example: An endorsement by a celebrity is bound to add value to the product’s marketing strategy leading to more visibility and reliability.
3. Portrayal of Operations from a Social Standpoint : One of the key ways in which PR can help an organization is by portraying its existing strategies from a social standpoint or how the business’s operations will benefit society in terms of employment creation, development, or fulfilling a social need. By showcasing the business’s activities in a social light, customers are able to see the business’s impact from a macro perspective encouraging them to support its products and services in the form of purchases.
For example: Focusing the annual report of the business towards its social service activities can help to create a positive public perception.
4. Appearances and Events : There is no alternative to engaging with your target audience in a physical environment. Physically engaging with your target audience builds trust, reliability, and a sense of belonging in the stakeholders of the business, including customers. By being a part of a large event, you can show your products or talk about your services in person creating a more amicable feel for the audience.
For example: If your target audience is the youth, being a part of youth events is of utmost significance to connect with them.
5. Awards and Accolades : For any new business, it is important to receive awards and accolades, not only for recognition of the exemplary work they are doing, but also to build trust in the eyes of the end customer. Seeing a new business get an award amongst many others in the same category, automatically puts that business on a pedestal that is recognized by the audience. It is needless to say that when there are many businesses of a similar kind, any customer would vouch for the one which has received some kind of recognition for their products or services.
For example: When a tourism company gets an award for being most tourist-friendly, they are automatically trusted by a larger number of tourists since they are put into the limelight along with a quotient of trust. Public relations are important for the growth of any business in any industry. Whether it is a non-profit organization or a profit-oriented one, PR determines whether that business gets the funding, the sales, or the recognition that it is striving towards. At YNG Media, a digital marketing agency in Delhi, we ensure your PR is on point and that you are able to generate a maximum yield from your marketing strategies.
