PR tools for SME
Isn’t PR the same as advertising? A lot of misconceptions have been made about the function of Public Relations being akin to advertising. However, PR by definition is focused on more than just public attention. The focus lies on building relationships and managing an image such that it provides consumers facts and influences its target audience’s decisions.
Tools for effective PR for SMEs:
1.Press releases – a brief report that contains specific information about an event or happening. Make sure that it is newsworthy and answers the audience ‘so what?’ question.
2.Partnerships / Co-Branding – this is where collaboration with like-minded brands are made to reach a wider audience, create a newsworthy story via strategic marketing campaigns to help each other achieve their objectives.
3.Social Media – modern public relations involves the use of social media marketing. It is known that social media has a wider audience reach today. This reach is essential for conducting research, following trends, and building relationships. Of course, there are various social media platforms so it is also important to determine which application would best suit the delivery of your message.
4. Employee/Member Relation Program – An organisation’s employees are an extremely important internal resource. Corporate public relations people often spend a great deal of time in developing employee communication programs, including regular newsletters, informational bulletin boards and internet postings. In service organisations, these kinds of activities can be used to support brand communication efforts.
5. Press Kits- The press kit pulls together all the press releases, fact sheets and accompanying photographs about the product into one neat package. A comprehensive folder can serve as an attention-getter and keep all materials organised.
The United Kingdom is home to 5.86 million small and medium enterprises which is accountable for 99.9% of the business population in the country. The competition in the sector is saturated and what’s in it for your business to strive?
A business is not just about gaining profit but for it to be successful. It also needs to build relationships to survive.
