Every company cares about public perception, and the good news is that public relations (PR) is one way they can create a likable brand and shape public opinion. Newspaper, television, social media, blogs, and other forms of PR are significant in shaping people’s attitudes and behavior. In this article, we go through how public relations influences public opinion.
Defining Public Relations
Companies use public relations to connect to their target audience and consumers. The trick to PR is to improve your relationship with consumers so that they understand you and positively perceive your brand/product. PR is also useful to promote your company’s values, show customers you care about them, and control damage in a crisis.
Defining Public Opinion
The definition of public opinion, in general, is that it is what the public thinks about a person, situation, phenomenon, product, or in this case, a company. According to Wikipedia, public opinion is the collective views of people in a society on a particular topic.
So, what is the relationship between public relations and public opinion?
All the processes involved in public relations focus on impacting public opinion. PR, unlike marketing, isn’t about selling products. Instead, it focuses on managing a company’s reputation and maintaining positive relations with anyone interested in your brand. In other words, a lot of PR tasks involve modifying people’s opinions so that they take specific actions, like buying your product. PR sells your company by strategically shaping perceptions.
How Companies Use PR to Influence Public Opinion
Here are some of the top public relations techniques companies use to shape public opinion:
1. Understanding Your Target Audience
PR professionals need to get into the minds of their customers, identify their demography, understand their pain points, and find out what they are looking for in a product or service. This information can help companies craft targeted PR messages, releases, and copy in which customers can relate. If you understand your audience, you can tailor your PR activities to their needs, and they will have positive feelings about your brand, leading to improved public opinion.
2. Repeated Exposure
One of the ways public relations can shape public opinions is through repeated exposure to your brand and messages. You can use different ways and platforms like news websites, paid search, social media, or even influencer marketing. The more people see your PR messages, the more likely you are to influence their opinions about your brand.
Another way that PR influences public opinion depends on where the messaging is featured. Companies need to feature their PR messages on platforms that their audience uses the most. The kind of places your brand messaging appears can influence people’s perception and create the desired outcome you want, so make sure to do your research there..
3. Great Messaging
Good PR is mostly about clear communication and great messaging. In this case, PR messaging that is clear, concise, and persuasive can speak to people’s emotions and impact their opinions about your brand. As such, it’s imperative for companies to focus on the language, tone, and information used to disseminate information to their audience. Whether you are trying to manage a crisis or want to create positive news coverage about your brand, you can get public opinion in your favor by presenting your company in a positive light that will build trust with the public.
4. Third-Party Endorsement
One of the best ways to influence public opinion through PR is by getting credible third-party endorsements from news media, celebrities, journalists, social media influencers, or opinion leaders, for example. Third-party endorsements make PR feel more genuine and authentic and, as such, are likely to build a great brand image that influences people positively.
The credibility that comes with third-party endorsements is why many companies spend tons of money to have people who share the same values and vision as their brand ambassadors. Having someone as the face of your brand can create a positive reputation for your company and influence people.
5. Putting In The Work
Influencing public opinion isn’t just about talking but also walking the walk. People like companies that act responsibly and put in the work that matches their statements and press releases. For this reason, it’s best to focus on creating a solid mission statement. Ultimately, people (and companies) are defined by what they do and not just what they say.
Get Started Using Public Relations to Influence Public Opinion of Your Brand
Having a good PR agency by your side is the best way to connect with your audience and maintain positive public opinion about your brand. At RPR Firm, we have PR professional teams with years of experience helping brands stand out in the competitive market.
Schedule a free consultation with us today and let our team of experts improve your brand reputation through great public relations.