5 Reasons Why PR Is Important For Your Startup PR can give your business the best result and only use a miniscule amount from your marketing budget
By Shreya Banda
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Setting up your own business is no small feat. There are several things that are on your mind, from managing your funds to knowing what your customers need. Marketing might not be at the forefront of what your business needs and you might not be considering Public Relations at all. However, if done right, PR can give your business the best result and only use a miniscule amount from your marketing budget.
Helps You Build Thought Leadership
Most founders have trouble understanding how PR works. PR in short acts like a bridge between the brand and the audience. The media coverage helps communicate with the audience and influence them in a positive way. There are several stakeholders involved in this process like the company spokespersons, stock analysts, investors, influencers, industry experts, customers, employees, and even the competition. As a business having control over all stakeholders may not be possible, however PR will help you make your voice heard and build thought leadership for your brand in the industry.
Helps Strengthen Relations And Build Brand Credibility
Unlike in advertising, where you can have control over the graphics and the placement of the ad, whereas through PR, the brand communication depends in a small way on the relationship that you share with the journalist. And to authenticate it you need validation from industry experts. When the audience reads the news it must consider your products and services worth their time, unlike an ad that they just glance through
Helps You Personally Connect With The Audience
PR is personal in nature, the communication is direct from the horse's mouth. The audience gets to know about the business and personal side of you as a founder and is able to relate directly with you. You'll communicate with them directly and build a circle that shares common interests. Great brands are built by strengthening relationships with the audience and influencers. What you need to keep in mind that these relations can make or break your client, hence building trust is of utmost importance.
Great Tool To Build Brand Advocacy
Public relations plays an important role in strengthening an organization's credibility. Numerous trusted intermediaries through their opinion in the media act as brand advocates and strengthen brand image . The consumers are bombarded with messages and hence the message through PR helps filter out and de clutter the messages that they receive. As a tool, PR should be used to share important message points and reiterate messages through company stakeholders. This helps knowing your needs and aligning them with audience's needs so that your business and its messages fitin.
Do PR Beyond Business
Your relation with various stakeholders need not always be about your business. PR helps you have an inside out approach about your business and solve issues with the help of your product and services. You need to be seen doing good as once the stakeholders lose interest they will shift to your competition in a jiffy Thinking and evaluating 'what is newsworthy' will help you stay relevant and if your business is able to do this, then PR will help your brand reach new heights.
While PR is neither is advertising, nor is free, it can cost you your brand if not used it well. As they say a pen is mightier than a sword.
