Too often, small businesses spend all their money on manufacturing, only to find their product sitting on a shelf, gathering dust because there is no way to take it to its intended market. Or, they create an amazing website, but no one knows it’s there!
Public Relations, more than any other form of marketing (such as advertising, direct mail, etc) is critical to the success of small business in identifying and reaching the marketplace. There are five important reasons for this.
1-All PR campaigns require a spin or a “story” and to develop that story or message requires creative focus on the mission or goals of the Company. At one popular national newspaper, the mantra is “why now, who cares?!” If your PR firm can address those two key questions in their media outreach, you’ve struck PR gold! That said, look for a firm that employs some former media types – newspaper, TV, or magazine. They generally have a better sense for the lingo inside newsrooms.
2-Public relations takes advantage of what is called the, “Implied Endorsement” of the media. Right or wrong, true or false, the public believes that the media is impartial and objective. When a journalist says that such and such product or service is the greatest thing since modern medicine, people believe just that. When people read an ad or watch or listen to a commercial, they question the statements made because it is the message the Company wants them to believe.
3-Public Relations starts and fans the flames of the word-of -mouth process, which is also very powerful. How often do we hear, “Did you see that story on TV last night about so and so?” Or, “I just read about that in the newspaper!” Public Relations and word-of- mouth work hand-in-glove to get the word out usually much more quickly than if PR were not involved.
4-The power of public relations can “fast forward” the small business’ goals, thus saving the small business money it would spend while waiting for business to come to them. PR primes the pump and gets cash flowing in (instead of just out), much faster.
5-Bang for your buck: the same amount spent on a one time ad or commercial in one publication or television/radio station is multiplied by hundreds if not thousands when spent on PR. For the same price – likely less, PR if done correctly, hits many, MANY more outlets thus letting hundreds of thousands know instead of just the audience of one particular publication on any given day or month.
