What is public relations? and where do you start?
It starts with hiring a ‘PR ninja’ that is able to develop, manage, and build new relationships with the public and inspire people to believe in your company’s offering.
If you find a PR officer ticking all the previous points, half the job is done.
Before we get into the explanation of what public relations actually is, let’s narrow it down to who ‘the public’ is.
The public is everyone. The public is the people.
Who are the people?
- Influencers in South Africa
- LinkedIn networks
- Local shop owners
- Small business owners
- Freelancers
- Tech businesses
- Startups
- Side Hustlers
- University students
- Family and Friends
(The list doesn’t stop here)
Basically, anyone that resonates with the tone of your brand or is able to influence how your brand is perceived online.
Yes.
ANYONE…
Who speaks.
And
Moves.
They are all capable of expressing how they truly feel about your business.
The conversation around your business can go three ways, your business will either be placed on the first block of the podium, second or third.
Here’s an example of how to come out on top using the best SEO practices:
Tara: “I’ve been trying to help my friends market their skin-care product but I’m not entirely sure how to respond to users in the comments section on Instagram.”
Lauren: “I know a few businesses’ that offer packages that include more than one service offering; like social media services and other offerings that would steer your friends’ business in the right direction.”
Lauren ends up sending Tara a Whatsapp message including names of businesses’ she would highly recommend, this action is quickly followed by Tara running a quick search and chooses the first name that pops up on Google.
You should now have an understanding of how quickly your perceptions are formed around your business, its the conversation people are having online and offline – if this is not the case and you’re still confused, comment below. I always welcome feedback.
What is Public Relations (PR)
This is what global media company Forbes outlines it to be:
“PR is the Persuasion Business. You are trying to convince an audience, inside your building or town, and outside your usual sphere of influence, to promote your idea, purchase your product, support your position, or recognize your accomplishments. Here’s what the Public Relations Society of America PRSA agreed upon after a few thousand submissions: “Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”
There’s no power in your PR if you are not forging relationships with the people outside and inside of your company. The goal is to spread the word and create a solid brand affinity.
Types of PR activities
These activities include any form of coverage your PR officer is able to secure or turnaround, it is likely that people are going to have bad experiences with your support agents and products – the challenge lies in how you respond to those events. This is how you turn a bad chip into a tastier one, have a look at McDonald’s twitter strategy:
