What is PR and why do I need it to ensure my business is successful?

PR and marketing have an important role to play in the way that you communicate and run your business. Done correctly and strategically, it can have massive ramifications. In fact, we recently wrote an article for a client and since its publication his phone hasn’t stopped ringing with people placing orders. That is the power of knowing what makes a good story, when to send it and to whom.

PR is not paid-for advertising, which can often feature poorly designed classified ads in the back of magazines. It is much more strategic, delivering great results through telling your story.

Whenever we take on a new client we spend time with them at their premises to talk about their business in order to identify their strengths, weaknesses and business opportunities. We act as a third eye for our clients. Typically the marketing strategy will run to a timeline, coinciding, for example, with a major exhibition or event. We will develop materials such as brochures, exhibition stands and newsworthy stories that we can distribute that present a unified image of our clients. It is important to note that no two clients are the same, and one of the key aspects of our job is understanding what makes our clients’ business tick.

We need to know your business, understand where it has come from, where it is at and where it wants go. Once we understand those elements then we can have a conversation about how we can best help you to achieve those aims.

But you can’t expect one press release to solve all your problems. We devise well-thought out marketing strategies that are timed and strategic, like an intravenous drip. We use this ‘drip approach’ to get your stories out there. One hit doesn’t solve it at all. It has to be a constant build-up of awareness, and that’s what we specialise in; it’s what we do for our clients in the travel and tourism sector. And I think that’s why our clients stay with us for as long as they do because they can see the results.

Press releases are a good example. Once a release has been distributed, we are able to monitor where the story is picked up through google alerts. We also use social media to detect coverage and the buzz it generates. We strongly advise our clients to have social media platforms, and often help instigate and manage this output for them.

With our journalistic experience, we know how to write effectively but we are equally aware of what media outlets need. As a result, our press releases often spark more in-depth features, thereby offering great value for money. A two-page spread in a magazine in advertising terms would cost roughly £4,000. By contrast, a press release costing £575 which then produces more media coverage is money well spent.