Public relations can be a powerful tool for elevating your business, building credibility, and connecting with your audience. However, not every business situation calls for a PR campaign. Knowing when to use PR and when to rely on other strategies can be the key to spending your marketing dollars correctly and ensuring you are set up for success.
Are you wondering if PR is worth the investment for your business? Here are scenarios that detail when—and when not—to consider a PR strategy.
Times Your Business Should Use PR
- Launching a new product or service. Introducing something new to the market? A well-executed PR campaign can create buzz, position your offering as a must-have, and even drive sales. For example, if you’re a bakery launching a new menu item, a PR strategy might involve securing coverage in local news publications, coordinating an influencer event, and sending samples to journalists.
- Experiencing a milestone or rebranding. Whether you’re celebrating a 10th anniversary, opening a new location, or rolling out a fresh brand identity, milestones are an excellent opportunity for PR. These moments show growth, stability, and innovation, making them attractive to both media and your target audience.
- Offering expert advice. If you or someone on your team has valuable expertise in your industry, PR can help position you as a thought leader. This strategy could involve writing op-eds, authoring guest articles, or being quoted in industry news stories. Providing actionable insights builds trust and enhances your brand’s credibility.
- Hosting a major event. PR campaigns can help amplify the visibility of events like charity fundraisers, grand openings, conferences, and more. The key is to tie your event to a compelling story—such as how it supports a cause, introduces a groundbreaking innovation, or brings together notable figures.
- Telling a compelling brand story. Does your business have an inspiring origin story, a unique mission, or a way it’s impacting the community? Sharing these stories through a PR strategy can help humanize your brand, attract loyal customers, and set you apart from competitors.
- Sharing important or interesting data or insights. If your business has conducted research, surveys, or compiled data with industry-wide relevance, PR is a fantastic way to share it. Journalists love data-backed stories, especially if they reveal surprising trends or answer pressing questions. Even if the data isn’t directly relevant to your business, you’ll get credit for the findings if you use a unique angle that correlates with your offerings and conduct the research.
Situations That Don’t Necessarily Require PR
While PR is invaluable in the right scenarios, it’s not always the right strategic choice. Here are a few situations where you can skip the PR campaign:
- Minor internal changes. Hiring a new team member or making operational adjustments? These moves typically aren’t newsworthy unless the change directly impacts customers, shareholders, or the industry. Instead, you can relay this information to your audience through your owned media, like your website, social media channels, and email campaigns.
- Everyday marketing campaigns. While your audience or customers should absolutely be in the know about your business’s promotions or sales, you don’t need a whole PR strategy to spread the word. These campaigns are better suited for digital marketing strategies like social media ads, email campaigns, or remarketing.
- Events without clear news value. For an event to be considered newsworthy, it must have a clear hook, broad appeal, or significant impact. Without these elements, even the most well-intentioned events may struggle to capture attention. For example, internal celebrations and awards, routine activities, and small-scale events are likely not relevant to external audiences. Though they’re valuable to your company, it’s better to focus your efforts on channels that align with the scale and significance of the occasion.
How to Know If You’re Ready for PR
Once you’ve determined whether you have something genuinely newsworthy, there are still a few final things you need to consider before deciding to move forward with a PR campaign.
- Your goals. What do you want to achieve? Whether it’s increased brand awareness, thought leadership, or a boost in sales, define clear, measurable objectives for your PR efforts. And remember that not all stories will result in the same outcomes. For example, a human interest story may not result in immediate sales, but it will help to build your brand reputation.
- Your budget. Do you want a hyper-local campaign? Maybe you’re looking for a national campaign featuring both digital and traditional outlets. Or, you may simply want to distribute a press release on a news wire. PR campaigns can vary widely in cost, depending on their scope. Make sure you have the resources to support your goals, including hiring a PR professional or agency if needed.
- The timing. Timing is critical for PR success. You may have missed your chance if your product already launched or the project you want to promote was completed long ago. Additionally, you should pay attention to what else is happening in the news cycle at the time of your planned announcement. Launch your campaign when your news is most relevant, and your audience is most likely to engage.
PR is not about chasing every opportunity but recognizing the moments that truly matter. By focusing your efforts on what resonates and aligns with your business goals, you can maximize the impact of your PR campaigns and make a lasting impression.
Still wondering if PR can help your business? Let’s talk!