Why PR? The goal of public relations is to send out the right messages to cultivate a favorable brand reputation. PR agency experts like us work with clients to establish or promote a company’s brand identity in their respective industry. When successfully executed, the various components of a PR campaign can help ensure a winning marketing strategy and, as a bonus, offer the tools to overcome most any hurdles that may unexpectedly arise respecting a company’s reputation.

What role can PR play in marketing your business?

Increase Brand Awareness
Building a brand doesn’t happen overnight. To compete with leading industry experts, an effective PR strategy can help spread positive sentiment about your company. Your product and/or service may claim to be “the only one of its kind,” but without public relations to support this messaging and generate awareness through various outlets and channels – your brand’s messaging may not be heard.

Capture New Customers
Positive press coverage can sway customers into using your products and services over other leading brands, which may be advertising or placing paid “advertorial” pieces to generate exposure. What can leave more of an impact is organic “earned” media placements. When your company, senior team members or products and services are mentioned favorably in the editorial of media outlets, it increases brand credibility and can help reel in new customers.

Attract Investors
Including a professionally executed PR strategy into your marketing mix can improve your company’s reputation, resulting in potential business partnerships and funding for future growth. Investors can be especially beneficial to businesses in the start-up phase or companies wanting to reach the next level.

Recruit Employees
Public relations isn’t just for attracting customers and investors, but for recruiting potential talent to join your team as well. An effective PR plan can position your company as a great place to work. Sharing your company’s business model and what it can offer to potential employees can increase its reputation as one of your industry’s most coveted employers.

Build Brand Loyalty
Trust is a core connection between a business, clients and consumers, and uncertainty, doubt or outright distrust of a business can negatively impact this connection with core constituents. By promoting a genuine, trusted brand, PR can help form authentic relationships with customers, media, investors, employees and the community. Ultimately, brand loyalty and reputation is what drives companies to success.

We have seen firsthand how basic PR tactics can help a brand blossom. From increasing brand awareness to building brand loyalty, the role of PR can add to a company’s standing and should not be overlooked when developing an overall business marketing plan.

Julianne Ortmann is a client services representative for Marketcom PR, a B2B-oriented communications boutique committed to helping clients achieve the results they need to sell more effectively in their marketplaces. Ms. Ortmann is responsible for supporting client marketing initiatives across a variety of financial services, nonprofit and B2B industries.