At the beginning of my career in Public Relations (PR), when people would ask what I do as a PR professional, I always had a hard time answering, usually, I would delve into a long explanation that centers on crisis management and image repair using relatable examples. Four years in, and I have come to understand that while my explanations on PR were not wrong, there is more to PR than crisis management. PR is a powerful tool that every business, brand and individual needs to keep them at the top of their game. PR is what makes Coca-Cola and Pepsi the most loved cola brands in the world, It is what makes Apple and Samsung stand out, it is what makes DSTV and MTN number one in their respective fields.
So what is PR? It is about telling your story, communicating, engaging and building lasting relationships with your audience. According to the Public Relations Society of America(PRSA), PR is simply a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.
Despite PR being all of this, brands and businesses still find it difficult to effectively harness public relations. This could be due to the several misconceptions that surround PR. For example, people believe that Public relations is expensive and only big companies can afford it, some believe PR is only about press releases and media publications, while a lot of people are of the opinion PR is spinning the truth to fit a particular situation.
Of course these are all misconceptions, as ‘Truth’ is the most important value in public relations, because without it, you wouldn’t be able to get the exposure and coverage needed for your brand. It is also important to note that anybody can harness Public relations, no matter the size of the business or brand, you just have to put in the work.
Here are four simple ways you can strategically use Public Relations for your brand;
- Tell your story; There is always a story to tell, and everyone loves a good story. Whether it’s the unique way your business operates, the way a product/service was invented, or the way your business serves it’s local community. By telling your story in an engaging and thought-provoking way, you can attract the attention of the media, which can equate to better exposure. Storytelling humanises your brand and gives you a competitive edge. With storytelling, you can communicate information, influence opinions and build trust and connection with your audience.
- Manage your internal Stakeholders; Internal stakeholders are those who work within your organisation or those who have direct interest, through investment or ownership. It is commonly known that employees are in the best position to spread the gospel of the brand, because they understand the brand value and can tell the story better. For example Google has consistently ranked number one among top organisations to work for because of it’s healthy work culture which in turn has given the organisation more exposure. Therefore, to build a positive brand image, you need to ensure that those who have a direct relationship with the business are well managed.
- CSIs and Community Relations; It is important that you engage in Corporate Social Investment (CSI). In today’s world where conversations around Sustainability and ESG are at the forefront of business practices, small and medium-scale brands can also leverage this trend through CSIs.
One misconception around CSIs is that you need to do it big before it can be relevant. However this is not true, you can achieve relevant and impactful CSI’s through partnerships and collaborations. There are a number of NGO’s and Government agencies constantly looking for organisations to partner with to achieve their goals.
Through CSI’s you can build credibility for your brand and show that your brand is invested in building sustainable communities.
- Thought Leadership; This is simply showing that you or your brand is a leader when it comes to a particular subject matter. There is a common myth that thought-leadership content is only relevant for well-established B2B brands, making small businesses and lesser-known brands to miss out on its benefits. Thought Leadership can be leveraged by brands of all sizes. It is simply sharing thought-provoking ideas and research, which in turn can be used to build credibility for you or your brand. Thought-Leadership can easily attract media attention, improve brand awareness, improve business reputation and help in lead generation efforts. For example Money Africa, an application that provides investment, financial, foreign stock, bonding, risk, and asset management solutions is also known as a leader in the financial literacy and education space.
The list is not limited to these four ways, as PR is a broad field and there are a lot more ways to leverage Public Relations. Some other components of Public relations include; Corporate Communications, External Stakeholder Management/Communications, Investor Relations Communications, Marketing Communications, Integrated Marketing Communications, Media Relations, Content Creation, Events management, Strategic Social Media Communication, Reputation Management, Speechwriting, Brand Journalism etc.
However, whether you are a small business, a mid-level brand or even a personal brand, it is important that you strategically invest in Public Relations, as it is that one tool that will take you from ‘Here’ to ‘There’.
- Ayomide Oyetunde
Ayomide Oyetunde is an associate consultant at BlackHouse Media (BHM)