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Public relations - what is PR and how would it benefit a small company?

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In this article, Ben Pinnington (contact details below) gives Bytestart readers some introductory tips to the world of public relations, and how it may benefit small businesses.

Over the last month I have sat in a number of new business meetings with small business owners.

The most frequent question we keep on being asked is, 'What can PR do for me?'

The answer is simple. PR is the most cost effective way of promoting a small business. But to work it needs your buy in and your commitment.

Why is PR necessary?

My strong advice is that PR is essential recession or not. Why? The media is the most powerful influence on the world today. If you are not using the media’s power you are missing a massive sales trick. You are also vulnerable to being damaged by bad news if you have no professional media management. Moreover you risk trailing behind by your competitors who do use PR and have a higher profile.

How does PR work?

Effective PR is straightforward. First you need an experienced PR firm which understands the mechanics of generating news coverage for small firms. The firm should be skilled at writing punchy engaging accurate news releases. It should further have a database of all media in the UK – local, trade and national. Your news releases should be distributed to all media read by your target customers.

How do I choose a PR firm?

Choosing a PR firm requires research. Speak to other businesses find out who they use. Look at prospective firms websites. How dynamic is it? What is the quality of their clients? Do they work with small firms? Do they have a feel for business? Do they have a good news section? If they’re no good at promoting themselves, they’ll be useless at promoting you. PR is a game which requires tenacity and professionalism. Meet the PR firm. How enthusiastic and driven are they? To generate media coverage you need persistence, do they strike you as hungry enough? Ask to see cuttings folders. Look to see how good they are at generating a breadth of coverage in regional, trade and national media. And ask for client testimonials.

Then ask them to produce a costed written proposal. Read through this carefully. Is it well written or dull as ditch water? Remember writing is the tool of their trade. Is it littered with grammatical errors? If so they are unlikely to have the professionalism or attention to detail you require. A good PR firm will present its work with the utmost care.

If the proposal introduces a team of people look for a broad skill set. Having a journalistic qualification is a good sign. Moreover you should have at least one senior person committed to managing your account.

How do you make the PR campaign work?

Once you have selected your agency ensure that there is a clearly defined PR strategy. This strategy must be signed off by you - the boss. For the PR campaign to work it must carry the clout of senior management.

When drafting the PR strategy ensure it dovetails with your business plan objectives, so you can benchmark its success and focus. So think about key objectives – winning new business, retaining existing business, raising your profile, giving a clearer understanding of who you are and what you do. Furthermore be clear with the PR firm describe your prime services, your target audiences, your target geography and detail what your key messages are.

The PR firm should then action an energetic vigorous campaign. This should promote your good news: new contracts, products, services and staff. The PR firm should also proactively use current affairs to promote what you do and it should set up profile and interview opportunities across the local, national and trade media. Critically the PR firm should be experienced in managing your bad news – accidents, job losses, customer dissatisfaction. Their expertise here could be absolutely indispensible.

And finally build a rapport with your PR firm. Meet them regularly – once a month. Look to see if they cultivate a crackle of news ideas with you and the team. If they are energetic and skilled enough they will feel like part of your team.

How do you measure it?

PR can pay handsome dividends on investment. How much business does the PR campaign need to generate to pay for itself? Or put another way, if you’re hit with a negative story and your PR firm stops it or ensures you muster a persuasive defence – how much does that protect your business? And don’t underestimate the morale boosting, motivational value of PR. When I visit clients I frequently see media coverage pinned up around offices giving staff pride and prestige. You and your staff may really enjoy promoting the business in the media. Moreover having a consistently high media profile will make you more competitive with your rivals.

About the Author

Ben Pinnington, is a founder director of North West PR firm Artemis Media & Public Affairs, and a former media manager at the Forum of Private Business.

For further details on PR contact Ben Pinnington (email), or tel: 0151 666 5777

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