USING PR AS A METHOD FOR EXPANSION

What if I told you that the best way to build credibility and trust in your brand is cost-effective and all it takes is a little convincing?

Welcome to the world of Public Relations – the best possible way to get the public perception you want while also expanding your business.

WHAT IS PR AND HOW DO I USE IT?

Public Relations is the business of persuasion. It’s about convincing an audience, your customers, journalists, partners, etc., to support you and your brand. PR leverages the media and other people’s audiences to promote your organization and create a positive public image – especially in times of crisis.

Think of PR like brand identity- the main difference between the two is PR focuses on maintaining a reputation with communication instead of relying on visual elements to portray your brand. PR can be organized into three categories: owned, paid, and earned media. While each works towards the same goal, they differ in their strategy to get there.

Owned Media is the main strategy that companies use to build a successful PR campaign. This is the strategy that you have total control over making it the most important type of media. This includes:

– Blog content

– Newsletters

– Social media posts

Paid Media is a way for you to pay to promote your content and make it visible to a large audience. This is a great way to make sure your content is reaching the people you want it to. As platforms switch to monetary restrictions for outreach, prioritizing PR by paying becomes extremely important. 

Earned Media is one of the best ways to build your reputation but is also one of the hardest to earn. It takes consistency and a lot of effort to boost conversation around your brand.

Customers aren’t just buying a product, they’re buying your brand. PR is one of the best ways to encourage the best possible perception of your brand and turn that perception into tangible results.

Check out our blog HERE where we go in-depth about how your brand is not your logo!

HOW TO ACQUIRE A LARGER AUDIENCE BASE FROM OTHER PEOPLE’S CIRCLES

Acquiring a larger audience base from other people’s circles ties in with networking and collaboration, which we will touch on later in this post.

Collaborating with other businesses is a great way to gain more customers from other people’s circles, they can help you promote your business and get different people to see what you have to offer. 

Also, during networking events, you can meet people who can introduce you to potential customers that you might not have ever met before. 

Acquiring customers from other people’s circles can be tough, but with patience and a whole lot of networking, it can be a beneficial way to generate business and create long-lasting relationships.

POSITION YOURSELF AS A THOUGHT LEADER

Positioning yourself as a thought leader is an important part of PR in both service-based and product-based businesses. A thought leader is described as someone who has knowledge in a specific field and it helps businesses gain trust and authority. 

In order to be seen as a thought leader by your clients, it is crucial to have a strong online presence. You can do this by joining different social media platforms and creating interesting, thought-provoking posts relating to your field of expertise. There are many different platforms you can join to become a thought leader, but some recommendations are: 

• Podcasts
• Panels and speaking engagements
• LinkedIn
• Twitter 
• Blog posts and email blasts

Through these platforms, it is easy to reach an audience that has the same interests as you and are wanting to learn more about your industry.

Positioning yourself as a thought leader is a great way to engage with your audience by sharing information and encouraging them to follow your page to learn more about your industry. By positioning yourself as a thought leader, your potential customers will trust you and be more likely to choose your business in the future. 

NURTURING RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH COLLABORATION AND NETWORKING

Networking and collaboration can help relationships thrive in the business world and can help clients see your business and understand what you are about! Networking isn’t necessarily about selling your products or services, it’s about meeting others and building relationships with them. During networking events, it is important to pitch your business, but don’t talk about your business the entire time. This time is great for building relationships and creating customer loyalty. Follow these five steps to create the best networking experience possible:

• Set time apart for networking events 
• Meet people through others
• Ask others about themselves or their business rather than pitching yours the entire time
• Be authentic, this will help others trust you and will help foster relationships 
• Follow up with people after the event.

Networking can help grow your business and create connections that could be useful later on in your journey.

Collaboration can really help your small business grow, create connections, and have fun, unique content for potential customers to engage with. Collaboration and networking go hand in hand when it comes to growing your business and connecting with other industry professionals and potential customers. Here are some recommendations for collaborations:

1. Cross-promote on social media

If you run a small business, cross-promoting with a different business can help customers build trust by seeing that you are working with another company. Social media is a great way to promote your business and cross-promoting with other businesses can help you gain followers from potential customers who have the same interests. It can also help create a relationship between your business and the one you are working with. You can promote each other’s work to promote to a different demographic than your followers. 

2. Partner with businesses for events

Running an event with another business is a great way to aid your networking process. Within this event, you can network with like-minded individuals and make connections to help gain awareness for your business.

3. Offer discounts

Offering discounts can be a way to get new customers to engage with your business, if someone gets a coupon they might be more willing to try your products or services. This can even apply to collaborations with other businesses, as they can promote your offers and you can promote theirs.

4. Co-branding

Co-branding is another way to promote your business through others. Working on a product or service with another company can increase your revenue and gain more customers by gaining some of their customers as well. 

Networking and collaboration are very important in creating brand awareness, gaining new customers, and fostering relationships in the business world. 

HOW WE USE PR TACTICS WITH OUR CLIENTS

We use PR strategies for our clients to help them be heard in their industry and market. Some of our go-to tactics include:

1.  Podcast Pitches

We pitch our clients on targeted podcast shows that have a similar audience or create a strategic guest list on our clients’ own podcasts. This helps our clients create conversations with others about a subject they are passionate about and give potential clients a real-world understanding of the company. (Check out @onqperformancetherapy to see what we’re doing with them!)

2. Speaking Engagements

Use speaking engagements at public forums to stand as a thought leader at an event (or host your own!). These third-party events – conferences, trade shows, seminars, etc. – help to build your brand and increase exposure. 

3. Leverage Paid Brand Collaboration

This could look like partnering with a publication like @phillymag for a feature or other sponsored content.

CONCLUSION

There are so many ways to utilize both free and paid PR. What’s important is making sure you use all opportunities to market and promote your brand in a positive way.

If you’d like to hear more about PR best practices or need assistance in getting started, email me personally below!