- Establish Your Brand
Consistent investment in PR helps to build brand awareness amongst potential customers. A formidable PR department will help your brand by forging a trustworthy public image that advertising alone cannot do. With adverts and marketing, it is typically obvious to the consumer that they are being asked to spend money for something that they may or may not actually want. In contrast, PR frames your firm in a different style - one that is less demanding and more consumer friendly. Social Media, when done right can also be a strong contributing factor towards a positive public image. It can help businesses and brands appear less corporate and more trustworthy. Notice we say: ‘when done right’.
Attract Better Employees
It is 2017, a quality potential employee, before their interview, is going to do some Google work on your company. A company that has a strong PR department can help with this. For example, creative and strategic PR campaigns can help your company receive media attention, enhancing its reputation as a leading company within your industry. This impression help to influence candidates. Even on a digital level, having a strong PR presence can help prospective employees while researching your company: the company website, social media presence or interviews with past and present employees can play a vital role in conveying the company’s positive attributes and has the ability to attract future employees.
Reduce the Impact of a Crisis
There is always the underlying threat of an unavoidable crisis. In some cases, a quality PR team can spot and stop a potential problem before it becomes a widespread crisis. Although it isn’t always possible to avert a crisis, good PR can go a long way in minimizing the damage. For this reason alone, investing in a strong PR team is undeniably important. Within the past year, we can look at countless failures from United Airlines to Pepsi’s adverts but there are also shining examples of well-handled crises over the decades. These examples (which there are countless of) help bring to light the importance of investing in and having a formidable PR team.
Expansion Opportunities
PR strategy can bring recognition for your business within its own sector. Nurturing a strong image internally throughout your industry, increases the reputation of your company amongst your competitors. This can help lead to potential investors and can generate business leads - PR can help you become the leading force within your industry, leading you to appear as the clear stand-out.
Lead Generation
Strategic PR is a significant driver of high quality, top-of-funnel leads. When the exposure earned by quality PR does attract leads, it usually also drives meaningful and long-lasting action. With the right tracking tools and data, you can see exactly which of your customers are coming from your PR efforts.
Further Reading:
http://business.nasdaq.com/marketinsite/2017/7-Reasons-to-Invest-in-PR-Now-More-Than-Ever.html
http://www.walkersands.com/Why-Do-Pr-8-Reasons-Why-Pr-Is-Beneficial
https://medium.com/startup-grind/why-we-decided-to-invest-48k-in-pr-for-launch-a12b73fcc5c0
http://www.marketingprofs.com/opinions/2016/30989/what-can-help-you-prove-the-success-of-your-companys-pr-investment