The reality of small business life today is that you’re expected to be good at all things ‘business’ – numbers, the law, managing people, etc. However misplaced this assumption may be, learning how to do your own PR or Marketing can be to your advantage – provided you know when and how to call in the professionals.
First things first. Hiring professional PR or Marketing advice is about tapping into years of experience as well as specialist skills. As a PR professional myself, this fee is earned from years and years of ‘been there, done that, learnt the lessons, made the connections’.
So if you’re considering going it alone on the PR front (as more and more businesses are), you really are limited only by what you’re prepared to do; just don’t expect to emerge as an expert media spokesperson or cutting-edge copywriter overnight!
OK, I’m getting off the soapbox…
So how do you ensure your business benefits from real PR power?
The first thing is to decide upfront what you want to achieve i.e. what the key issues are for your business, product or service. These can be anything from increasing sales leads to bringing about a change in perception about your product or service from local residents.
It’s also important to decide what your idea of success is – more people calling you or consent for a planning application without any objections from local residents. Just remember, don’t base success solely on ‘gut feel’.
Two. What do you really mean when you say ‘I’d like to do some PR’? Are you happy with articles about you or your business in the local paper or are you trying to talk to a specific dealer, supplier or user across three counties?
This may seem obvious, but with thousands of media outlets serving almost any audience you can think of, it’s best to be clear. You also need to consider what they need to see, hear or read to bring about the change you’re looking for.
Three. Be prepared i.e. in a position to deal with a sudden burst of new customers or available for media interviews if what you’re saying generates interest from the local radio station. However, don’t forget to think ahead – responding quickly is one thing, but a successful campaign is just that – a sustained effort – not just a flash in the pan.
Four. Be patient and persevere. The world’s top companies have this in common; they don’t give up at the first, second or even the third hurdle. What’s more, it pays to remember what PR is fundamentally about – influencing attitudes, perceptions and behaviour – not guaranteeing overnight success. So, if at first you don’t get the results you’re looking for, keep going. Review your strategy, take a different tack if need be, but don’t give up or expect to get on the front page of the FT within three months.
Five. Keep PR at the heart of your business. In a small business this is fairly easy as the person doing the PR is usually the owner or senior manager anyway. However, it’s worth noting that PR is about communicating at all levels, whether talking to employees or customers.
Here’s some more PR DIY dos and don’ts:
If you want to share your thoughts or tips on this topic, please do. Or if you want more info on how to proceed, get in touch.
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