How can PR help a business or organisation?

If you are starting on the journey into PR, you may be wondering how it can actually help your business or organisation. Within a PR strategy, there are many ways in which you can impact your business in a positive way. These include a media presence bolstering credibility and visibility, improving your SEO, and enhancing your contact with your audience.

We’ve sat down and created our top 10 reasons why you should have PR and what it can do for your business or organisation.

So, why PR?

1. It helps to build awareness & brand identity 

PR is a brilliant tool for building awareness by strategically crafting narratives and pushing them out across various channels. PR professionals secure coverage in influential outlets relevant to your industry through media relations, reaching broad audiences. Engaging with key stakeholders, including journalists, editors and influencers, amplifies brand messages and increases visibility. PR campaigns get a business talked about by sparking conversations, capturing attention and driving engagement. A social media strategy can also be included. Social media platforms serve as powerful tools for sharing content and enhancing visibility, further expanding reach. Using PR to consistently showcase compelling stories ultimately builds awareness, positioning brands and their leaders at the top of consumers’ minds.

2. It creates media relationships 

You might have a marketing that gets your name out there with adverts, but behind every advert is normally a search engine search for more information. PR creates media relationships with influential journalists and outlets within your sector. Having these people on board and sharing your business stories is invaluable. Creating media relationships keeps you front of mind when the media has questions or needs information from your sector. If your brand has these media relationships, it’s your brand the media will come to when they need something, and that’s a good place to be.

3. It provides a great reach

PR offers unparalleled reach by leveraging various channels to convey messages to a wide audience. Through media relations, press releases, and editorial placements, PR professionals secure coverage in print, broadcast, and online outlets, reaching millions of potential customers. Social media amplifies PR efforts, allowing for direct engagement with followers and the sharing of content virally. Social media strategies can also be enhanced with influencer partnerships, tapping into wider audiences and communities with interests similar to your business. Additionally, PR can enhance your events and sponsorships, providing opportunities for face-to-face interaction to harness deeper connections. Its multifaceted approach ensures broad exposure and impact for brands and messages, ultimately reaching a wider audience.

4. It increases credibility

Credibility can be increased through PR strategy, with authentic storytelling, expert positioning, and endorsements with well-known publications. By securing media placements in reputable outlets, PR validates a brand’s expertise and trustworthiness, reaching audiences through sources they trust.  Building relationships with industry influencers and thought leaders further enhances credibility, as having the backing of such people lends authority and legitimacy to the brand. PR is also crucial in a crisis, with a communications strategy that helps in many crisis situations effectively. Managing a difficult situation well demonstrates transparency and accountability, which reinforces trust. 

5. It enables you to reach your audience more effectively

Through targeted messaging and strategic communication tactics, PR can tailor content to resonate with specific demographics within your target audience, whether that be age, gender, location or interests. PR ensures that your message reaches the right people at the right time. By understanding audience behaviours and preferences, PR enables brands to grab their audience’s attention and drive engagement, ultimately leading to increased brand awareness and loyalty.

6. It improves SEO

One of the main key components of a PR strategy for many businesses is the generation of quality backlinks from reputable sources. When PR efforts secure media coverage, interviews, or guest contributions on high-authority websites, it boosts a brand’s online visibility and credibility. These earned media mentions not only drive direct traffic but also signal to search engines the relevance and trustworthiness of the brand’s website, improving its search engine rankings. Additionally, PR activities like press releases and social media engagement increase brand mentions and online conversations, which are also factors considered by search algorithms. 

7. It can increase customer interest

Many businesses use PR as they want to be seen in the public eye. Through media placements, press releases, and influencer collaborations, PR generates buzz and curiosity around a brand’s offerings. By highlighting unique selling points, success stories, and industry expertise, PR captures the attention of potential customers and encourages them to explore further. Leveraging social media and events, PR creates interactive experiences that engage audiences and foster genuine interest. Positive PR coverage also enhances brand credibility and trust, making customers more inclined to choose the brand over competitors.

8. It is a low-cost marketing option and avoids paying for adverts 

PR is a cost-effective marketing option as it relies on organic, earned media coverage rather than paid advertisements. Instead of allocating significant budgets to ad placements, PR creates and enhances relationships with journalists, influencers, and other media outlets to generate publicity. By crafting compelling stories and angles, PR professionals secure editorial coverage, interviews, and features, reaching audiences through trusted sources. This approach not only saves on advertising expenses but also enhances authenticity, as audiences perceive editorial content as more trustworthy than paid advertisements.

9. It helps to improve your company image

PR enhances a company’s image by managing its reputation, fostering transparency, and mitigating crises effectively. By engaging with the public, influential parties and communities, PR builds trust and credibility, positioning the company as a reputable industry leader. A strong company image attracts investors, talent, and customers, driving business growth and sustainability. 

10. It can make it easier to obtain finances due to being credible and well-known

We’ve already discussed credibility, and it’s this credibility gained from earned PR coverage that can facilitate easier access to finances. By positioning a brand as trustworthy and reputable through media placements, thought leadership articles, and positive storytelling, PR builds investor confidence. Financial institutions and investors are more inclined to support businesses with a strong and favourable public image, as it indicates stability and potential for growth. 

As you can see, there are many factors in which a PR strategy can enhance the credibility of your business. Working with a PR professional can help you get in front of the media, can highlight your expertise, can improve rate in which you can reach your target audience, improve your SEO, and can ultimately help with gaining financeability.

If you have questions about how PR could work for you and your business, contact us today at [email protected] for a no-obligation chat.