PR Nashville
5 Ways to Increase Your Business Profits Through PR
Public relations (PR) can bridge the gap between the people behind a product or service and the individual purchasers. That means PR firms use their talents to draw direct lines between those who are looking to spend money to solve a challenge and the companies that can meet their needs. Although PR campaign results are not easily measurable, good PR can bolster your business’s sales and help your company grow. Here are five ways PR can help you increase your profits.
1. Position Executives as Leaders in the Field
Any great PR strategy should include elements of thought leadership, which will help position your executive team members as leaders in their fields. You can do this through interviews, offers to comment on industry-related breaking news and evergreen topics, and especially through opinion pieces.
Thought leadership ultimately builds credibility for your brand. When the people running your company are also considered the key authority figures within your industry, consumers are more likely to trust your products and services and may be more likely to purchase from you over your competitors.
Best of all, thought leadership can be executed on a very small scale! Pitch op-eds to your local and neighborhood newspapers and watch profits through PR grow.
2. Visibility
Don’t believe anyone that says brand awareness doesn’t impact your bottom line. Traditional public relations campaigns can work wonders when it comes to increasing simple brand awareness. This is a classic top-of-funnel marketing strategy that will help you make more sales and close deals down the line because consumers have to first realize that your brand exists before they can spend money with you!
Although advertising is one good way to build leads, every business has finite resources. Earned media through pitching will help you reach more potential customers without an additional budget, especially if you land a coveted mention in a nationally-reaching publication. A percentage of the people who read the piece will likely turn into customers down the line.
3. Develop Lucrative Partnerships
Well-aligned partnerships can do lots of good for both parties. The key to nailing an authentic partnership is to make sure both parties’ values align. Both brands or individuals need to be working towards similar missions, or consumers will see through the charade.
PR professionals are master networkers; they spend significant time nurturing relationships with reporters, influencers, and government entities on behalf of brands. That means PR pros will have well-targeted suggestions on the best brands or people to partner with and those to avoid. The ideal partnership will feel natural but will expose both parties to new audiences and demographics.
Partnerships can also be “in-kind,” meaning you don’t have to spend additional budget to work together—each member of the partnership gives up goods or services instead. In-kind partnerships are a great way to share your goods with partners so they can talk about your product or services firsthand, thereby increasing the reach of your partnership. In the same vein as coverage in large publications, when a well-respected thought leader or influencer shouts out your product, consumers are more likely to trust your brand and become purchasers down the line.
4. Traffic Generation and Improved SEO
Every media hit, influencer post, and partnership secured will help drive traffic to your brand’s website. Search engines like Google rely on backlinks, or links to your site from other trusted sources, to help it determine which webpages to boost when search queries are submitted. The more trustworthy backlinks you can secure, the better your website is ultimately going to perform.
Public relations can also improve SEO, or search engine optimization. When your brand is featured in an article or you’re selected for an interview, you’ll start to be associated with certain keywords. When searchers type in these keywords, your website will be more likely to show, thereby securing more eyes on your site (and improving profits in the process).
5. Build Brand Reputation
Media and social media coverage should be consistent in tone. Great PR firms will ensure all executives who are available for interviews are prepped on key talking points, preferred brand language, and tone before chatting with media. Social media posts, website images, and op-eds should all work together to underscore your brand values.
Managing a brand, especially for large companies, is no easy task. But a cohesive brand is a persuasive one; consumers are more likely to trust your brand and be loyal to your company if they know what to expect from you across all platforms. If you employ a playful tone on your website, have fun with social media copy and media interviews, too! If your brand prefers to use formal business language, this reflects in published op-eds and blogs. This sort of eye for detail from your selected firm will help you build profits through PR over the long term.
How can I measure profits through PR campaigns?
There are several KPIs your PR team can employ. You can track the number of media hits secured, the number of impressions secured, and the number of readers per month for any particular publication in which you’re featured.
PR firms can also use trackable links and measure how many people visit your website from each media placement. We can use similar tactics when tracking partnership coverage and social media results.
How long should I expect it to take before I see profits from my PR campaigns?
The answer will differ across industries. Most PR firms suggest it will take four to six months to see tangible results in the form of increased sales, improved SEO, and improved brand awareness. For industries with greater competition, expect a longer lead time.
Curious how else a PR team can improve your business’s revenue? Contact us to chat with a member of our team about how our services can help support your business goals!
How Industry Analyst Engagement in Your PR Strategy Can Help Your Startup Succeed
Influencers are all the rage these days for brands who are looking to increase brand awareness and credibility, build engagement, and ultimately increase sales. But, if you’re a startup, especially in tech, you shouldn’t overlook the power of the original influencers: industry analysts. Including industry analyst engagement in your PR strategy is a must. Here’s why and how to connect with them.
The Importance of an Industry Analyst
In general, an industry analyst is a person, working individually or within a firm, who creates and publishes in-depth research about a particular field. They are especially common, and influential, in the technology industry helping to influence purchasing decisions and shape public opinion. In fact, a Gartner, Forrester, or IDC study is likely to have helped you choose a product, service, or provider in the past. Industry analysts are trusted to provide expertise and objectivity which is why favorable mentions can do so much for your brand including:
- Increasing awareness
- Raising investor capital
- Increasing sales
- Improving your company’s reputation
- Improving credibility
Industry analysts are also routinely quoted in the media as experts in their field and asked to speak at leading industry conferences on innovation and market trends.
Achieving Effective Industry Analyst Engagement
Now that you know why it’s so important that industry analysts are aware of and familiar with your brand’s capabilities, how do you strategically engage with them? These tips can help.
1. Find the right industry analysts
You’ll need to research the industry analysts in your specific niche. Technology is a vast field so it’s important to prioritize your industry analyst engagement on who will be most influential for your brand. Learn all you can about them as that will help you understand their research focus and will help you anticipate questions they might ask during a briefing.
2. Build the relationship
Reach out to the industry analysts on your radar to schedule a briefing. They are busy people, so you have to be prepared with a pitch that will cut through the clutter. Keep in mind that industry analyst engagement can be a lengthier process than traditional PR pitching so plan ahead.
3. Prepare for the briefing
Most startups don’t have the clout to get in front of industry analysts on a regular basis, so you need to make your briefing count. Don’t be overly promotional, instead provide a company background from a strategic perspective with the industry in mind and focus on how your product or service addresses current market needs. Make sure you back everything up with data. And be honest, especially when it comes to areas of improvement. What’s more, think of this as a give-and-take where you can also ask them questions about their research agendas (and how your brand might fight in) as well as their perspective on the industry to gain further insight.
4. Keep top-of-mind
But do this in a relevant manner, keeping in mind their research focus when it comes to keeping industry analysts informed of your brand’s news, strategies, and plans. You’ll also want to make sure you quickly respond to information requests. In addition, use industry conferences and other networking events for industry analyst engagement as well. All of these tactics will help you nurture the relationship and position your brand as a resource.
While larger brands have an entire analyst relations team devoted to this ongoing effort, smaller brands and startups can lean on their PR firm for this expertise. For example, R team can not only handle all of the above for you, but we can leverage our already established relationships among industry analysts in the technology and startup community on your behalf.
For more information on how R industry analyst engagement expertise can help your brand, schedule your FREE Discovery Call today!
Tips for Pitching Your Brand to Food and Beverage Industry Influencers with Food PR Packages
One of the top trends in PR today is influencer marketing. In fact, according to Statista, the influencer marketing industry increased from $1.7 billion to 13.8 billion dollars in the last five years. As such, we think it's proven to be more than a trend, particularly for brands in the food and beverage industry. Here’s how influencers can help your brand and how you can reach them with food PR packages.
The Impact of Influencers in the Food and Beverage Industry
There’s almost nothing better than a great meal with family or sharing drinks with friends. It’s such a part of our culture as Americans that we love to talk about it just about as much as we love to experience it. Enter the popularity of food and beverage influencers. The foodies, the chefs, the cocktail experts, the health conscious, and more create some of the most engaging content on social media, and consumers lap it up because it’s more credible and more real when coming from someone they follow, trust, and, in some sense, have gotten to know. And brands are not only taking note but also looking at how to capitalize on the ‘influence’ of influencers in their PR strategy to help:
- Reach the right audience
- Build engagement with that audience
- Increase sales
- Increase brand awareness
- Build credibility for your brand and/or restaurant
Promote Your Brand with Food PR Packages
Now that we’ve established the impact influencer marketing can have in the food and beverage industry, the question becomes, how can your brand reach these influencers? First, you need to identify the influencers whose niche aligns best with your brand and then create a food PR package that includes:
1. An appropriate level of value
You don’t want to seem like you’re buying their review, but want to provide a substantial enough product or product package to give them a true brand experience.
2. Products that are easy to ship
This can be tricky for food and beverage brands but you want to make sure the product isn’t so temperature specific or so easily breakable that it could arrive damaged or spoiled. That certainly wouldn’t leave a good impression.
Products that look good on social – Make their job easy with an eye-catching product or food PR package that they can share with followers. Remember, they love posting the un-boxing experience!
3. Consider the packaging too
The idea is to give them the full brand experience (as much as possible anyway) and that includes the packaging as well. Use materials with your brand colors, make sure it has your logo on it, and any other brand touches that will help it stand out.
4. Write them a personal note
DO NOT send a form letter in your package. One, influencers in the food and beverage industry follow each other too so they’re likely to see what the others post. And two, you’re trying to build a positive relationship with them, and the best way to do that is with a personal touch. Show that you’re familiar with them specifically, briefly describe the purpose of your food PR package, and thank them for giving your brand a try.
5. Include talking points
You could do this in the note or on a separate piece of paper; include a description of the product(s), the benefits, how to use them, and any other key information. Should they decide to post about your brand, this will not only make their job easier but also ensure they present your products in the way you want them represented.
Outsource Your Food PR Packages
So, that’s a lot, we know! But you want to get this right. Food and beverage influencers have a direct line to your customers and potential customers so just as easily as they can promote your product, they can share negative experiences, too. Many small businesses simply don’t have the time or the expertise in this area, that’s where we come in! R team is not only experienced in food and beverage industry PR, but we also have strong influencer relationships here already! Which means we know how to reach who you need to reach and exactly how to get them excited about your brand.
We would love to help with your food PR packages. Learn more about our public relations services and schedule your FREE Discovery Call today!
Does Pay-for-Placement PR Work? Expectations Versus Reality
One of the more frustrating aspects of public relations (PR) is that it can be harder to measure ROI than traditional advertising or digital marketing, for example. What’s more, good PR can often take a little bit of time to make an impact and in today’s world of instant gratification, that can make those approving PR budgets antsy. Enter pay-for-placement PR. But does it really work? Let’s find out.
Pay-for-Placement PR Defined
PR firms offer different types of payment models such as an hourly rate or a monthly retainer for their services. Another lesser-known model is called pay-for-placement PR which means the firm only gets paid after a story about you appears in the media. It’s an option that often appeals to startups or small-business owners who have limited budgets.
Expectations versus Reality with Pay-for-Placement PR
While this model can be effective, it’s not without controversy. Here’s our take on the realities of pay-for-placement PR.
Pros:
- You get what you pay for – Instead of wondering what exactly your PR firm is doing to earn that PR retainer or if they should be charging more or fewer hours to get the results you want, with pay-for-placement PR, you eliminate that uncertainty.
- Focuses on the short-term goal – This often works for startups or small businesses who need to create some quick brand awareness or publicity for a new product release and/or an event. But don’t yet need some of the more long-term PR services like reputation management or media training.
Cons:
- Not every media placement is the same – Is a media placement in an obscure local publication the same as one in the lead publication in your industry? No, but you might be paying the same if you’re not careful upfront with this model. It’s about quality versus quantity. And that goes for how prominently your brand, product, or service is featured, too. It doesn’t do you much good if you only garner a small mention.
- It can limit the relationship with your PR firm – Pay-for-placement PR is transactional, no doubt, and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, part of the key to success with public relations is the strength of your partnership with the firm you use. When your PR firm is immersed in your brand they can tell your story more effectively, and retainer clients typically get more value-added services by the nature of their investment.
- The model can invite abuse – If there’s a system to game, someone will find a way regardless of the industry and PR is no different. Yes, there are some unscrupulous firms out there who may cut corners and/or try to offer kickbacks to journalists to gain placements. This is completely unethical, but don’t let it overshadow a model that can work when done correctly especially when there are ways you can protect yourself and your brand.
Meeting Expectations with Pay-for-Placement PR
To meet (or exceed) expectations you have to set them clearly, of course. That’s one of the ways to ensure you get the best results with pay-for-placement PR (or any type of public relations, advertising, or marketing). Yet, you’d be surprised how many brands do so. But that’s a post for another time. Other ways to ensure your expectations are met with pay-for-placement PR include:
- Do your homework on the best type of PR firm to represent you, and not just for pay-for-placement, but also for your brand and industry in general. Then vet them thoroughly.
- Again, define what you want to achieve. What types of media publications, placements, and mentions equal success to you?
- Develop as close a working relationship with your PR firm as possible with this model; the better they know your brand and the better you work together, the better your media placements will be.
- Track the work your PR firm is doing and make sure you can make adjustments if you don’t think you’re getting your money’s worth.
To learn more about how R public relations services can help your business, click HERE to schedule a FREE Discovery Call today!
Top 5 Scariest PR Mistakes
As Halloween approaches, it’s the season of scary movies, haunted houses, and spooky costumes. But if there’s a scare you want to avoid now (or any time of year really) it’s the dreaded PR mistake. Truly, this is the stuff of nightmares for your business and some mistakes are unfortunately all too common. Here are the top five scariest PR mistakes and how to avoid them.
1. Not understanding your audience
By this, we mean not only your customers and potential customers but also the publications and journalists to which you are pitching. Just because your “news” is important to you doesn’t mean it’s important to these groups. So, before sending anything make sure it’s something your customers need/should know about and that you’re reaching the right journalists and publications to get that message across.
2. Ignoring media relations
If your business only gets in touch with journalists when you want them to cover something for you, then your chance of success is slim. Don’t have the time to cultivate and nurture these relationships? This is where a PR firm can be particularly helpful and is actually a specialty area for us. We’ve spent years on media relations in lifestyle industries such as restaurants, hospitality, retail, health and wellness, and non-profits, which is why we get such great coverage for our clients.
3. Going only for the big names
Who wouldn’t want coverage in the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times, they’re the ultimate in credibility right? But that doesn’t mean they’re the best fit for the message you want to share with your audience. And, unless your news is BIG, they likely won’t give you the time of day. Instead, consider industry publications and/or even local publications. They’re much more targeted meaning you know your audience is reading them, and you’re much more likely to stand out.
4. Creating a promotional pitch
Yes, the idea is to promote your business. BUT, when you’re pitching to news publications, your pitch has to be newsworthy! Huh? This type of PR is called earned media which essentially means you are earning free coverage instead of paying for promotion. You can’t just submit a sales brochure on your latest product and call it a pitch. You have to put together a story that showcases your business. Think case studies, unique applications, timely events, etc. Again, this is where a PR firm can help you shine. We know what journalists are looking for and the types of pitches that work (or don’t).
5. Winging a media interview
Finally, it’s happened, you’ve pitched and a journalist wants to interview you for a story. Great news! But that’s just the beginning. Although you may know your business inside and out, interviewing skills don’t come naturally to most. Not to mention, you likely won’t know the angle the journalist is going to take which may throw you on the spot. As such media prep is a must so you know exactly what messages you want to get across and can do so effortlessly. A PR firm can also help you immensely here by conducting mock interviews, creating talking points, and more so the coverage presents your business in the best light.
To learn more about how R public relations services can help your business, click HERE to schedule a FREE Discovery Call today!
4 Tips For Starting a PR Consulting Business
Have you ever thought about starting your own PR consulting business someday? It’s scary, right? And I say this from experience, “Hell, yes.” But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go for it. Good PR is needed now more than ever, but how do you get from dreaming to reality? Having done this myself, I’m passionate about helping others become successful entrepreneurs. Check out my tips on starting a PR consulting business.
1. Make Sure You Have the Skills
Having a background in PR, journalism, or even corporate communications is a must. Not necessarily a degree. In fact, I have degrees in Psychology and Philosophy and a Master’s in Social Work, and while the people skills certainly translate it’s my experience that gave me my chops so to speak. Specifically, the years spent running my award-winning website Defining Delicious in addition to working for the Jason Dady Restaurant Group in San Antonio, Bread & Butter Public Relations in Austin, and Bay Bird Inc in San Diego. Many people think PR is just spin and slick talk, but it’s so much more. Lack of expertise is a surefire way to crash and burn.
2. Have Media Relationships at The Ready
Whether you have these media contacts yourself or you hire or partner with someone who does, the success of starting a PR consulting business hinges on these relationships. Sure, you can work the paid media (online ads, paid influencers) and owned media (your website, social media) angles, but that’s more costly. And even if you can get clients to pay an unproven PR consulting business for this, your profits will feel the hit as opposed to the free coverage you gain from news mentions. Not to mention, this earned media (free coverage) is what true PR is really about; you can’t be full-service without it. This means you have to build and nurture media relationships like there’s no tomorrow!
3. Find Your Niche
Sure, the big PR agencies have the bandwidth and the staff to handle clients from almost any industry. But, realistically when starting a PR consulting business that’s just not feasible. Nor is it beneficial for a small business in my opinion. In trying to be everything to everyone you lose some of your value, whereas if you have a niche you can promote your business more intentionally and focus your time on the media relationships offering content in that area. For example, we R a lifestyle public relations agency which means we specialize in brands within industries that include restaurant, hospitality, and retail as well as health and wellness. Our clients come to us because we know their industry backward and forwards and there’s a certain comfort that their PR will be better and more successful because of it.
4. Determine How You Will Work
By this I mean your office. The days of needing a physical location are long gone. Sure, there may be some need to have a conference space now and then but there are certainly options for booking shared meeting space when you need it. It certainly costs less when starting a PR consulting business, but there are other benefits as well. At RPR Firm, we are fully remote which allows us to bring on talent from anywhere. We’re not limited by geography, nor are we boxed in by time constraints of commuting. Plus, in a creative business, the right mindset is everything. I find much more inspiration in the view from my home office than I ever would from a stuffy cubicle!
For more information on R PR consulting business, visit rprfirm.com today!
R Mid-Year PR Regroup Tips
We've passed the half-year point and if your business hasn't gained the awareness and interest you want, it’s time to regroup. Many small businesses initially try to tackle PR themselves and quickly find out it’s not as easy as it seemed initially. But that doesn’t mean you have to shell out the big bucks to a large PR agency to find success. Here are some quick PR regroup tips to get your business going in the right direction as we start the last half of the year.
1. Start by asking questions
Look at the goals you made at the start of the year. Specifically, PR goals, but it’s worth looking at other business goals as well in case there are ways for PR to help you achieve them going forward that you didn’t consider before. Measure how far off-track you may be and why. For example, was it that your PR attempts just didn’t work, or did you get too busy and let them fall off? In the case of the former, consider what might have gone wrong and how you might improve. For the latter, you might consider whether a lack of PR will end up costing you more than what it might take to get some help in this area.
2. Keep your social media on point
Yes, this takes a lot of time, but small businesses should consider social media the low-hanging fruit so to speak. It’s a PR tool that’s more easily in reach to you and it’s a way you can go directly to your audience to build interest and awareness. Consider your audience and make sure you’re active on the platforms which they frequent. The caveat: you have to be interesting and relevant to get their attention. Give them a reason to share, and do it often!
3. Stalk your competition
Not really, well maybe. If PR is not in your wheelhouse, one way to spark ideas is to look at what your competition has done that’s been successful in this area, and where they’ve failed. Note where they pop up, what they promote, who’s talking about them, and what they are saying. Then figure out how those tactics might be of use for your small business. And, don’t just stop at competitors, consider other small businesses that are in your local area, or even better that complement you. Reach out to them, maybe you can partner on some collective PR or at the very least get some ideas on what’s worked for them. Entrepreneurs love to help other entrepreneurs succeed; they know firsthand how hard it can be out there!
Go from PR Regroup to Launch
We started out as a small business too and very much understand the need to build awareness and interest, but have a lack of time and money to put towards it. That’s why we created our Launch program for lifestyle brands such as restaurants, hospitality, retail, health and wellness, and non-profits. This 6-month program includes developing a brand identity, PR plan, and campaign for small businesses that qualify.
To learn more about how R Launch program can help your small business, click HERE to schedule a FREE Discovery Call today!
Best Practices for Podcast Interviews
You’ve been invited to be a guest on a podcast, how exciting! Being interviewed on podcasts is a great way to highlight you and your brand in a fun, personal, and interactive way. Podcasts also have engaged and active listeners who may differ from your regular market, so it’s a great way to broaden your reach too! But if you’ve never done podcast interviews before, the experience can be intimidating. So we’ve created a checklist to help ease the process and make you better prepared!
Best Practices for Podcast Interviews
1. The Prep Work:
- Listen to a few episodes of the podcast
- Do your research!
- Listening to the podcast is a great way to learn about the host(s), the show’s format, and the overall tone of the podcast.
- Prepare your pitch
- What makes you unique and interesting to listen to?
- Preparing a pitch allows you to brainstorm your angle and be ready for an insightful conversation.
2. The Day Of:
- Get camera-ready
- Podcasts are often recorded. Make sure you look your best so you feel your best!
- Check your technology
- Make sure all your gear is working properly and allow time to troubleshoot and resolve any issues beforehand. (See the gear checklist below.)
- Minimize distractions
- Silence all notifications (phone, watch, computer, etc).
- Minimize all background noise such as TVs or music.
- Move into a room away from pets, children, significant others, friends, etc.
- Drink water
- Keep a glass of water nearby so you can hydrate throughout the interview.
- Tip: be sure to sip, not chug, so that the noise doesn’t pick up on the microphone.
3. The Gear:
- Microphone/AirPods
- Using AirPods or a microphone can help isolate background noise and ensure sound quality.
- Proper lighting
- Many podcasts are recorded for promotional purposes!
- Bright and clear lighting increases professionalism and makes for a more visually appealing interview. Ring lights or natural lighting work great!
- Your background
- Backgrounds should be simple, clean, and professional. You can show your personality through shelf decor, plants, and artwork.
- Tip: avoid windows in your background as they create a glare. Instead, try sitting toward (looking out) the window for bright, natural light!
6 Ways to Prep Your Business for PR Success
You want to take your business to the next level and think that public relations (PR) can help you get there. First, you’re right! But before you hire a PR firm there’s some prep work you need to do to make sure you get the most out of the relationship and both of your time. Here’s what to do for your business's PR success.
1. Get your story straight
Not your story for the press but rather your brand story. It’s hard for a PR firm to promote your business if your message and brand identity aren’t clear. To do so create a mission and vision statement if you haven’t already. And craft your brand message which is the value proposition that you convey to your target audience. This will help firms like R’s to know how to pitch you to the media.
2. Know your audience
Speaking of your target audience, for your PR to be its most effective, you’ll need to clearly identify them, their characteristics, their pain points, and how they engage with brands. Without this knowledge, you’re shooting blind so to speak in how best to reach and connect with them.
3. Prepare your background materials
Yes, your PR firm could help with these things, but you’ll have to give them the information anyway so put your budget where it will count most - in your PR campaigns – and do this yourself. You’ll need to create a company overview, fact sheet, and executive bios to start.
4. Update your website
This is the most comprehensive reflection of your business, but it’s often the most overlooked aspect of brand identity. Firms like R’s can also help you in this area, but if you’re looking to hire someone that’s exclusively focused on PR, then your website may need to be tackled separately. But it should be updated to reflect your look and message before the PR firm starts sending media and new prospects to it. It can be helpful to add a newsroom to the site as well to make it easy to access your company overview and fact sheet, etc.
5. Get active on social media
You don’t necessarily have to be active on every platform available. Really it depends on the nature of your business whether it makes sense to be active on traditional platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn, a combination of these, or a different combination altogether. Ideally, you want to have a least some presence before beginning your PR efforts to make you more credible, but if that’s not the case what’s most important, as your new PR firm will tell you, is that you consistently post and engage on your accounts.
6. Define your goals
Quite simply, you need to give your PR firm some direction. We can do wonders, but we aren’t mind-readers so goals need to be defined upfront. The old adage of throwing ideas against the wall to see what sticks is not going to give you the results you want and deserve. Consider whether you’re interested in boosting awareness, increasing credibility, increasing brand engagement, and/or creating a more positive brand reputation. Firms like R’s can then take that direction to create measurable goals.
R team would love to help your business achieve PR success. Learn more about our public relations services and schedule your FREE Discovery Call today!
5 Ways PR Will Increase Your ROI
Increasing marketing ROI is paramount for any organization. Yes, it’s true you have to spend money to make money as the old saying goes, but the reality is you have to quantify the impact of those dollars or risk not just losing your marketing budget, but negatively impacting your organization overall. While in some areas of marketing, like advertising, it’s relatively easy to measure ROI, others, like PR, have always been harder to measure. As such the impact of PR often goes overlooked and underfunded. But make no mistake, PR will increase your ROI. Here’s how.
Measuring ROI
In general, ROI or return on investment in marketing is measured by determining how many sales, attendees, donations, etc. happened because of your campaign(s). Using advertising as an example, you could calculate ROI by determining the revenue you gained from a particular ad minus the cost of the ad divided by the expenses and multiplying by 100. It’s a relatively clear-cut formula.
On the other hand, PR has many roles such as boosting awareness, credibility, and engagement with your brand as well as cultivating a positive brand reputation, all of which are more intangible. What’s more, they are what you would typically consider top-of-the-funnel activities in the sales cycle rather than the bottom where the sale is closed. However, you can leverage them in bottom-of-the-funnel activities as well to prove their value in increasing ROI.
How PR Will Increase Your ROI
It’s still important to measure media placements as well as social, website, and search engine metrics, however here are five ways to leverage PR in more easily measured marketing and sales activities as well:
- Use media placements in campaigns – Don’t leave it up to your prospects to come across your media placements, make sure they know about it by including them in your marketing campaigns and/or using them as another reason to reach out. Typically, it takes five to seven touchpoints to ‘hook’ a prospect so to speak.
- Add to sales and marketing materials – Adding award wins, industry accolades, and other media mentions in these materials, especially where they highlight how your brand can help overcome key customer pain points adds tremendous credibility.
- Share on social media – Encourage employees to share media placements on appropriate social media channels to increase not just brand awareness but also sales. For example, Hubspot states that sales professionals with a strong social selling index on LinkedIn have 45% more sales opportunities than those who don’t and are 51% more likely to reach their quota. Make sure you’ve created and trained them on social media guidelines for your brand first though!
- Add accolades to signature lines – Adding clickable links to thought leadership, awards, and other media placements is a subtle way to increase credibility, awareness, and engagement for your brand. And not just in terms of sales, but it can help with recruiting and investor relations as well.
- Create testimonials – The fact that your sales team is closest to your customers and PR is closest to media is actually a beautiful thing. You can work together to create testimonials that benefit your brand overall as well as your individual goals. The ability to share happy customer experiences is priceless!
R team would love to help your organization increase ROI with PR. Learn more about our public relations services and schedule your FREE Discovery Call today!