If you’ve read our previous post, then you’ll have insider knowledge of the 3 PR tools that are already in your back pocket. Read that alongside this blog and you’re all set. But small business owners might overlook the power of PR in their community for many reasons; be it lack of confidence, not understanding the value or simply not having the time to do it.
From experience, we can honestly say, using PR to reach your local community can have an overwhelmingly positive impact on your business. We witness, every single day, how the work we do can change the way customers and prospects (and even sceptics) perceive you. But when you don’t employ a publicist and it’s left up to you, we know it can be daunting to take the first step.
Setting aside a couple of hours a week in your diary to focus on how you can drum up some attention in your target media is invaluable. Remember, your community may not be a certain geographic location, it could be a business sector or a demographic such as working mums. And just in case you’re still not entirely convinced, below are a few of the reasons why PR coverage is valuable to your business.
Reach a wider audience
Hearing things through word-of-mouth is great but can you imagine having a pedestal that can deliver your message slightly further afield? Oh, that’s right, you do! By using one of the tools we’ve previously written about, i.e. a newspaper or a podcast, you begin to make waves in a larger pond. You’ll be able to broaden your horizons and highlight your product/services to those that might not be familiar with your business.
Build brand awareness
PR campaigns are all about raising awareness. As a small business, you can adopt PR activities on a simpler scale and still get the benefit of increased brand awareness. PR is all about making people aware of who you are, what you’re all about and what you can offer – hooked on to something that is of enough interest that the media will cover it for you. Raising the awareness of your brand can then help with a whole manner of things – attracting new customers, strengthening your bond with existing customers and sharing your values with your wider community.
Make you an expert
It might not sound too important to you but, trust us, painting yourself as the ‘go-to’ in your area of expertise is crucial. Obviously, you’re great at what you do so you should be shouting that from the rooftops and, in this case specifically, right towards your peers. Maybe there’s an awareness date you can utilise to offer specialist advice, giving you the opportunity to share your expertise. Let’s say, for example, you’re business is a food supplier and National Vegan Week is coming up – you could put together a guide with tips on how best to eat a vegan diet or write an article on how the booming lifestyle choice is having an impact on the food industry. By using what you know and sharing nuggets of wisdom, you’ll gain a lot more trust and credibility and, ultimately, show yourselves as the experts.
PR is crucial for small business. It really pays off to schedule time into your day to generate ideas to share with your target media outlets. They rely on businesses like yours to help provide content, so get in contact and create a relationship that benefits you both. You won’t regret it!
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