The Importance Of Public Relations In Today’s Socially Connected World

Cell phones, the internet and social media have come together to create a socially connected world that was unimaginable a couple of decades ago. Getting a “Tweet” or a “Like” from the right person is more valuable to businesses than all the advertising they can buy. Consumers are taking a different approach to finding the products they want to buy and deciding who they want to buy them from. More of them are relying on their online resources to find businesses and share their experiences with their friends. This change in consumer behavior has also impacted the way businesses use PR measurement to gain brand recognition and increase their customer base.

Traditionally, companies have kept their focus on the cash revenue that advertising brought in. Today, many professionals believe that these companies remain too focused on ROI instead of looking at the more appropriate areas that define success. When companies hire a PR firm for consumer management, ROI remains their primary concern when the focus needs to be on building brand affinity. Instead, creating a campaign that results in a fast-growing PR measurement over time will have a long-lasting impact on the company and its financial gains.

Before putting a dollar value on the results the company is getting from its efforts at getting a more favorable PR measurement, there are some other areas of focus that are more likely to result in getting that PR hit that will carry them through to a higher level of success and a far-reaching ROI.

1. The Competition – It isn’t just about getting greater brand recognition in the media for your company; it’s also about keeping the competition out of the limelight. Every achievement you make for your company will drive your competition down. That doesn’t mean you should ignore the competition and hope it goes away. A high PR measurement for your company doesn’t automatically mean a low one for the competition. Stay focused on your public relations plan and continue to show consumers why your product or service is better than the rest. Otherwise, the competition could ride on your success and take away the brand awareness you have worked to build.

2. Building Relationships – One of the biggest changes to public relations today is the ease with which companies can build relations with their customers and communicate with them. Building relationships with influential figures and anyone with a wide presence in the media is always a part of improving recognition and driving the PR measurement up. However, making the connection between what the consumer wants and the product that you offer is what will set your company apart and make it recognizable to more of your target audience.

3. Building Your Brand – The opportunity to build your brand is one of the most important reasons that you should hire a PR professional. There is a lot of competition out there and they are all working to make their brand stand out through any means possible. Don’t leave it to the market to define your brand. Make a decision about what you want your brand to be and get busy promoting it. It’s up to you to separate your brand from that of the competition. This is what makes it the product that everyone wants and what drives up both PR measurement and your ROI.

4. Reaching Your Target Market – When you hire a professional PR firm, you not only get their assistance in pinpointing who your target market, but also their existing relationships with those areas of the market that you want in. They know your target consumers and what their behaviors are online. A good PR firm knows what people are talking about and how your product can be promoted to make it fit in.

5. Who is Endorsing your Product? – You want to sell more than a product: you need to sell your target customers on who you are. The best way to do that is through endorsements of your product from people they already know and trust. Consumers trust the recommendations of their friends and family over every other resource. When it comes to social media, the average consumer also has celebrities and other influential figures in their network that they follow and look to for advice on what to buy. One positive mention from the right celebrity can have a phenomenal impact on your product and on your overall brand. You can expect your PR measurement to multiply when you have the authentic endorsements that will inspire your target customers to choose you.

Consumer behavior is an important factor when determining the approach you need to take to promote your brand. It’s all about what and who is hot at the moment and how they can help you get your brand noticed for all the right reasons and by the right people. If anything, social media has increased the necessity of using PR measurement to determine how your brand is being viewed and what people are saying about it.

It is also more essential than ever that companies use the current PR measurement to determine what they could do better and then implement it in a way that will improve the image that the average consumer has of your business. Consumers don’t want to take the time to do their research and sort through all the companies that offer the same products or services that you do. They want to know which company has the features that will work best for them and will get the product they want in their hands the fastest. The company that provides the consumer with information about how their product can serve their needs will be the one that gets the sale.

Long gone are the days when a PR measurement was used to reflect the impact of advertising. Although advertising through traditional means will get your product recognition, it takes good public relations to pinpoint the endorsements you need to turn doubters into followers.