Here, we’re going to look at the benefits of public relations (or publicity) in business, with a focus on such areas as thinking of newsworthy topics for your business (without the use of an “advertorial”) and how to approach the media (primarily through the popular and respected online distribution channel PRWeb) along with evaluating their costs.
The “power of public relations” is a great way to build your brand – in fact, many marketing experts believe it dwarfs the ROI (Return on Investment) on advertising and many marketing efforts. Here are some interesting statistics to kick things off:
• A 150-word news brief about a Nashville, USA-based logistics firm resulted in $5 million (U.S.) in new reoccurring revenue after a Florida executive at another company read the brief and hired the firm – a business opportunity formed because a news item about a company carries three times the credibility and has six times the visibility of an advertisement.
• Seventy-one (71)-percent of business owners say their marketing dollars are best spent on PR.
• A sale is 89-percent more likely when unpaid messages generate positive discussion in advance of such purchase; such messages include news coverage, referrals and word-of-mouth.
• Nearly nine in 10 (86-percent) of Americans say learning about a company through news coverage is more influential and credible than seeing a company’s advertising, and the number is similar for UK-based individuals.
Now, when it comes time to think up with newsworthy ideas for a press release you can send out for your company, the first thing to remember is that a well-written news release, when combined with a carefully-optimized website, can actually help you increase the size of your email marketing lists and build new social media connections. When thinking of press release ideas, take into consideration the following major topics most companies concentrate on:
• New Hires and Company Expansion – Have you just recruited a new key member of your staff to your company? Where did they work prior to joining you? What have they achieved in the past?
• Awards – Have you, a member of your team, a product or service just won a significant award? This is big news and definitely worth bragging about in a press release.
• Product Launches – Do you have a new product that solves a significant problem for your clients? You’ve got a news story.
• Significant Milestones – Anniversaries, customer wins, acquisitions, rounds of funding, revenue growth…these all make great news stories.
On the subject of approaching the media, an online news release distributed via a service like PRWeb will help you kick-start a highly visible content marketing strategy and potentially position your message across thousands of online and traditional media outlets. For a small business with limited resources, this can be instrumental in helping you build a brand and sell to a wider – and potentially global – market.
The same could be said about other similar services such as PR Newswire; regardless, the costs incurred by going with one of these online channels are as varied as their offerings of reach, quality and ease-of-use. When looking at PR Newswire or PRWeb, it’s important to evaluate each service’s abilities to help your business achieve its goals.
READY TO START YOUR OWN PR CAMPAIGN? Check out more information on our Public Relations services here.
