Public relation or usually called PR is often forgotten as a valuable tool in connecting a business to the community. Whether a business is aimed at creating a news story, financing a significant event, or being affiliated with a charitable institution, a well-planned public relations technique can provide numerous advantages including the following:
- Strong bonds between your business and affiliates
- Cost-effective yet effective and discreet advertising mediums
- Better relationships between your business and other entrepreneurs
- A fresh platform for the formation of your business’ image and credibility
Public relations consist of interlinking marketing and advertising efforts that should remain consistent during your desired campaign period. At the start of the year, sort out through lists of personalities, events, and media programs that you would like to include in your campaign. See to it that your plan does not involve extravagant budgets in order for you to mainstream the campaign funds for quality maintenance. The following are fundamental suggestions to incorporate in all your PR efforts.
Connect with local leaders. Determine the influential people in your neighborhood and set-up appointments with at least two of them every month. Be sure that you include leaders of youth organizations, chiefs of police, fire department heads, and most especially the president of Chamber of Commerce. By being affiliated with the influential people in your community, your business and its activities will gain more social value and thus, increasing the significance of your brand.
Create Press Releases. Work with your local newspaper publisher by submitting news angles that can discreetly promote your local store. A lot of editors constantly search for fresh local news that interest people and it depends on your technique whether or not they’d like to publish your story. If you succeed during for the first time, repeat such effort in order for them to consider you as a valuable source.
Finance a community event. By showing your support to the events in the community, you immediately become an effective method of gaining more exposure. By tying your business to annual events and providing annual financial support to certain community-wide programs, the people will see a positive image of your business. There are also chamber events wherein you can meet other business owners that are supporting the same cause.
Join Adopt-A-School programs. This is one of the methods wherein both parties get advantages. You can choose to organize small programs that can promote good relationships between your business and the school. This is also a good way of winning the vote of the kids in the institution as well as their parents.
Engage in charitable activities. There are two reasons why marketing programs are done. One is to increase exposure of the business. And second, to do the right thing. Helping people in the community is like a form of appreciation for their support to your business. Use this method and you’ll gain sympathy and respect from the community in return.
Keep your vendors updated. Be sure not to leave your distributors behind in your marketing strategies. By keeping them informed of your goals, every other business linked to you can help in making the campaign successful. Moreover, both of you are going to get the benefit of greater exposure.
Listen to customer opinions. The most direct way to make people interact with your business is to approach them with a question. Find out what they think about your store and the business. Ask for suggestions for improvements. Let them share their insights by answering surveys or retrieving their email address and other contact information. Be sure to prepare a rewards program in order to encourage them to give away their thoughts.
Nurturing public relations is always a good way to improve the status of a business. It helps in creating strong bonds between people and other entrepreneurs in the society. These efforts have been proven to be important aspects of brand effectiveness and you should be able to maintain your own in order not to be left out. In order to save on costs, be sure to employ someone with good experience.