Public relations has been a much neglected part of the marketing mix here in Dubai over the last year or so, with people focussing more on the bright lights and shiny promise that social media seemed to bring. However this fascination is calming down now, with people realising that this form of communications is not a one-trick pony, nor an instant sales generator as they perhaps first believed. As with all forms of communication, social media needs a clear focussed strategy, dedicated resource, time and money – and even then the results will not appear overnight!
We’ve been really encouraged to see more enquiries coming for PR again over the last month, as people remember the power of traditional media and journalists/producers/presenters/broadcasters, and realise that they need a strong integrated marketing mix for success.
If you’re not sure, check out these four reasons that you absolutely cannot afford NOT to do PR:
1. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
The majority of people open their Internet browsers in order to perform a search. When we are looking for a solution, a product or service, Google is often the go-to, so you need to be at the top of the list, not just for your brand name, but for your industry/service/product in the area/city/country you operate. One of the ways to help you rise to the top of the rankings, is to have lots of external links from other websites, directing to your site. The more credible, influential and well established the external website is (ie leading national newspapers), the more recognition you will get from Google for being featured with them. Any Public Relations work, whether interviews, features, press releases, opinion editorials, etc, should therefore have links to your website so that when the online version of the media publishes them, it adds to your Google presence.
2. Social media presence and influence
When you think about social media work, it shouldn’t just be about what you as a company are posting, as consumers we trust our peers much more than we trust company accounts, and therefore we need to think about increasing content about us from influential third parties. We’re all aware of the rise of the influencer, however a lot of people still think about influencers as people with a large Instagram following – typically lifestyle-focussed.
All media (and often the journalists, presenters, producers) have social media presence – and often much stronger than the influencers you are thinking about paying for minimal exposure. As we previously mentioned, news outlets will share the story on their online pages, they will also often share the story on their social media pages (make sure you give them your official social media handles in order for them to tag you!) These outlets normally have large followings and are credible sources of information for the public, making them a great way to increase your own social media reach and exposure, and the awareness and trust in your brand.
3. PR generates ideas/campaigns for the entire marketing mix
PR does not stand for press release! Public relations is so much more than press releases and media engagement. Issuing a press release for your big announcements and launches is fine, but to really get results, you need to be putting in a lot more work developing your media relations in advance, and creating campaigns that reach all marketing disciplines. For example, rather than a simple press release for a new product launch, could you survey people’s opinion and create some newsworthy stats around the results, could you create a public event, could you involve a charity or students, could you create a series of tips/advice/stories that could be compiled into a book or information guide, could you write a white paper? Remember that no one cares about your news, they care about what it can do for them or others, so how do you add (and show) that value? If you develop your PR, you will be thinking bigger picture about your brand and reputation, and therefore generating results for the whole marketing mix.
4. It’s cost-effective
Editorial is not paid for (or shouldn’t be!) It is featured because it adds value to the lives of the reader/listener/viewer, therefore there is no requirement to spend on advertising – you can achieve the same amount of exposure for free (if you have an interesting story to tell)! You still need to put the time and resource into planning and managing your PR, but you avoid the costs of offline and online advertising. The other benefit with creating this organic content is that it is much more trusted by the public than any blatant advertising or sponsorship – so it is much more impactful to the audience.
If these reasons alone have not convinced you, then take a look at your current marketing strategy, and the business results you have seen. We’re not talking about social media follower growth or engagement, which isn’t really indicative of anything on its own, but actual direct business results – does your marketing have a positive impact on your sales and enquiries? If not, then you need to review your marketing mix and strategy, any maybe think about incorporating more PR. If you still have questions about PR, and how it works, then we would be more than happy to talk about it over a coffee, so just drop us a line sam@footstepcommunications.com
