How PR can help grow your business

You want to offer your product or service to potential buyers. But they don't know you, so why should they care? Sales skills can help you build relationships one-on-one, but you need a one-to-many approach to grow your business.

Breaking the Ice

After identifying your target market according to their needs, roles, and personal characteristics, you need to break the ice. But targets won't appreciate a sales pitch from someone they don't know and trust. You need to communicate through trusted media, with maximum credibility. That’s where public relations (PR) comes in.

PR communicates through publicity. You influence journalists and other opinion leaders to include your messages in their content. That’s why PR can have greater credibility than advertising among those who know you least--and you don’t have to pay for the media space.

Three PR Tactics

Three tactics will help you break the ice and build awareness with your target market:

#1: Announce new product launches, major deals, and financial milestones. Maintaining a regular stream of newsworthy announcements keeps you in the eyes of your target market and builds awareness of your company. Many blogs and websites will post your news release as is, so write it with that in mind. In addition, journalists may incorporate information from your announcements in their stories, if your news release is factual and newsworthy.

#2: Develop and influence feature articles on topics of interest to your target market. Whether you write the article, or an editor does so with your help, you can establish thought-leadership with your target audience. Develop mutually-beneficial relationships with editors who manage and develop published content.

#3: Influence the influencers. In the computer industry, analyst firms such as Gartner, Forrester, 451 Research, and IDC consult with IT decision-makers and publish influential research reports. Other opinion leaders include strategic customers, channel partners, and early adopters. People trust and respect them for their expertise and track records. What’s in it for them? Their status depends on accurately predicting the future, and you can help them do that, while you get the word out.

The Role of PR in the Buying Cycle

PR introduces you in a credible way to a skeptical audience. It's not a silver bullet, but PR has enormous value in breaking the ice and building awareness.

Although PR can bring visibility, other tactics such as advertising, direct-relationship marketing, social media engagement and event participation can increase market interest and consideration. And of course, face-to-face contact is frequently required to drive preference, commitment and customer loyalty.

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