Protecting your business’ reputation is more important than ever thanks to the viral nature of social media and the internet. How individuals perceive your business affects your bottom line. Public relations is all about shaping an image for your brand. It’s also about re-shaping that image when necessary to react to both positive and negative views. Your reputation is your brand and your brand is your business. A bad reputation equals a bad brand image, which equals bad business.
A PR Professional Cultivates and Shares An Image.
With so much riding on your brand’s identity, you never want to leave your public relations to chance. Many entrepreneurs try to handle their small business PR themselves, solicit the advice of friends and family or hire an intern to handle these vital communications. It is not likely, however, that any of these people, even yourself, know how to reach the public.
You might know enough to start a social media site, maybe a blog but do you know how to cleverly craft quips that grab the attention of the public? Do you know how to draft a press release and more importantly, to whom to send it for distribution to the appropriate channels?
A small business PR consultant gets your story out to the media and to the consumers who matter. More than that, a PR consultant understands current trends and knows exactly the type of brand to which the modern consumer will respond. They will work with you to cultivate a cutting edge image while maintaining the integrity of your vision for your company.
An expert public relations professional will tell you what is and isn’t working with your brand. They will craft an image that resonates with your target market and attracts clients you never knew you could reach. A PR leader consider more than how your image plays in traditional spheres, they also examine the viability of your brand online. They can help you cultivate the right voice for engaging your clients on your website, through social media other tech media.
A Public Relations Consultant is a Fixer.
Many entrepreneurs think they do not need a small business PR consultant. After all, it’s a small business. How big can their blunders be? Well, thanks to the internet, even small business snafus can have a massive impact on you, your brand and your bottom line.
In the hands of the right (or wrong) customer, your company’s small mistake can go viral over the internet and various social media channels.
If you decide to handle it on your own, you might get emotional and further complicate the problem. Or, you might decide to do nothing and hope the issue goes away. Unfortunately, that often makes things worse. When a company refuses to address a social media or online debacle, people assume that the brand simply does not care about their customers.
A small business public relations consultant spins the issue so that it works to your benefit. A PR leader sees every problem as an opportunity for improvement. They’ll show you how to find that silver lining and make the most out of a bad situation. They can also foresee potential issues and teach you how to avoid common PR mishaps in both traditional and new media.
If you’re struggling with cultivating a strong brand identity or having trouble creating a the right buzz about your brand, let one of our PR professionals help you connect the right message with the right audience.