Reasons Why PR Should Be an Integral Part of Your Business
Credibility
One of the most powerful aspects of PR is media relations. Effective communication with people in the media can help you obtain editorial coverage for your business or product.
Audiences are meant to perceive editorial comment as an independent and objective evaluation, and so it appears more credible than advertising or other paid forms of communication. Ultimately, it is not what you say about your business that matters. It is what others are saying about you!
Cost Effectiveness
Public Relations can be less expensive than other forms of paid communication, even if you hire an external public relations agency rather than performing this task in-house. Although when you pay for the services of a PR specialist, what you achieve in the way of media coverage and changes in public perception is worth much more.
Exposure
Your PR dollar is likely to achieve much more extensive coverage than your advertising dollar. Specialist PR consultants know which media to target with your message (and often have incredible contacts), what content the media want, when to pitch, which story to pitch and the best way of delivering your message.
Flexibility
Public Relations has the benefits of being flexible in message content and being responsive to the news. A skilled PR professional can turn around media releases in reaction to news or crisis situations within hours.
PR should be an ongoing commitment and an integral part of your business. If you don’t have the resources (time or staff) to allocate to PR, it’s advisable to hire a professional, as there are PR opportunities everywhere.
