If you’ve never run a business, you may not understand the importance that public relations and proper communication have in running a company and being sure that you can bring in the money that you will need in order to continue to exist. But let me assure you, if you don’t have both, you’re going to have a problem going down the road with making sure that your business can continue to grow and whatnot.
Failing to have a plan to deal with the public is the kind of thing that leads to a business going under in the long run, to closing your doors and losing all the money that you originally invested in starting up your business. Trust me, it is not the kind of thing that you want to have happen, not by a long shot. If your business goes under, depending on how soon you are able to get out, you are going to lose you initial investment, but if it goes completely under and you have to file bankruptcy, you may end up wrecking your own credit rating in the process. Bankruptcy tends to ruin your credit for the next ten to twenty years, if you ever manage to get it back under control again. And, of course, there’s also the strain that it puts on your life, your personal life, your relationships with friends and loved ones, everything like that. Truly, it’s pretty awful.
Now, if you decide to hire a PR firm, you’re hiring people who can help you to manage the business that you have built, and manage its image. They’re going to be making sure that your company is perceived and received well, and that your business is going to be able to reach the consumer. Here’s just a few ways that they will accomplish this.
1. Ad buys
So, if you’ve ever done anything in advertising, you understand how important a thing it is in getting your product some recognition out in the world. However, for a small business, buying ad space is going to be just an awful experience. You see, the prices for ad space are pretty high, and your ability to haggle on those prices as a small business is going to be almost non-existent, because you don’t buy much at all. But, if you buy ad space through your PR firm, you can get a better price because they are buying a lot more ad space. Thus, they are better able to negotiate a fair or at least decent price for you than you would be able to get if you were to try and negotiate your own
2. Marketing campaigns
Figuring out a comprehensive marketing strategy is an important thing for any business, and if you don’t have one, you may just be throwing your money away with ineffective marketing that isn’t targeted at any specific group.
Not only that, but you need to be marketing the products that you have to sell the right way. If you’re selling a beer, you need to be telling people about the experience of drinking the beer, not telling them about how much it is or its percentage of alcohol by volume. Communicating properly with the customer base that you have on hand is extremely important, believe me.
3. Online presence
A PR agency is going to be able to help you manage your online presence, which is essential these days. Yes, I know that some businesses don’t have a website, or else they have a website and nothing else, and that is just a terrible idea. You need to not only have a website, but to also have a place on social media in order to reach the customer in as many ways as possible. If you don’t have all these things, you’re really shafting yourself when it comes to the whole ‘reaching the consumer’ thing. The more ways that they can hear about what you have to offer, the more chances you have to make money selling them the products, services, or gods that you have for sale. Of course, there’s also the fact that the more places that you have social media for marketing, the more places that you can go ahead and take advantage of to spread the word….
So, if you’re looking to grow your small business, here’s a great way to do so, and one that you should be happy to take advantage of. It may cost a bit of money, but if you hire a PR firm, you will be able to see it pay off for you in the long run, you can believe that.