If you are looking to understand more about what public relations is and why its considered crucial for an organization, then you are in the right place. In this article we will be introducing public relations and discussing some of its methods and the importance of them.
What is Public Relations?
Public relations is a communication process that helps build a relationship between an organization and its consumers in a beneficial way. Public relation efforts help guarantee that the correct information is passed between the organization and its consumers. Public relations main goal is to maintain the reputation and the brand image of an organization in the eyes of its audience and also its employees, stake holders, investors and all other individuals who are associated with it in some way or another.
There are multiple activities under the umbrella of public relations that can be used to enhance the reputation of a brand, some of these activities include media (press releases, media relations, media conferences and tours), proper advertisements targeting the right audience through the right communication channels, public relations campaigns that include activities that will help increase loyalty from the customers like premium cards, aftersales or a rewards program, holding events or shows etc.
Public Relations vs Traditional Advertising
When a business promotes themselves through public relations, unlike advertisers and regular marketing, in most cases they persuade the consumers through unpaid or earned methods like some of the ones discussed previously. It can be argued that public relations professionals are basically skilled storytellers. They use narratives to influence public opinion, whether its protecting or improving it, a good PR expert will look at the organization and spot positive messages that can be used to promote it, they will then use these messages to create positive stories that can be shared with the public. On the other hand, whenever there is bad news surrounding an organization, public relations can help formulate a response to avoid a crisis or minimize its damage.
Effective public relations almost always lead to increased sales and gives an edge over the competition since earned media is so much more credible than paid advertisements which can sometimes be unconvincing. In most cases public relations costs less than advertising, and it is best used as a counterpart of a marketing strategy; it is used as a tool to help promote a brand and its products or services.
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