Why no small business can afford to ignore PR

Every small business owner knows they need to market their company. Getting the word out about your products and services is a must, Business Ownership 101. That's why even those with the tightest budgets have some marketing in place. Most businesses will have a website, do some advertising, and have at least one social media channel in their marketing mix. Not as many have a proactive approach to PR, though, and that's a mistake.

Here's why. PR can help build trust in a brand, improve your search engine rankings, boost your social media presence, and help you grow your local or industry network. All things that help to win you new customers and more business.

Trust is important when you're buying from a brand. Independent recommendations are one of the most important factors in purchase decisions. After all, who'd buy from a company they'd never heard of? No one - not without checking the reviews, anyway. Brand credibility matters. Because journalists are seen as independent, having your product, service, or company name published can help win you customers.

Search engine algorithms also care if their customers can trust your brand. That's why independent mentions of your company posted online affect search results. Publications will have a digital version and will often publish far more content online than in print. It's nice to be in your local paper or trade magazine, but those digital-only articles are valuable too. Links to your website from these sources are worth their weight in gold. Links from reputable new sites help improve your organic search engine ranking. That means your website is put in front of more customers, without you having to shell out more on paid search engine marketing.

PR placements can also boost your social media presence. Journalists, editors, and publications typically have large, relevant audiences in your local area or industry. So, if your story makes it onto their social feeds, there's an opportunity to reach new target customers with your brand.

Beyond social media, connecting with journalists and editors is a great way to improve your network in your business niche or local area. They're often industry specialists who've spent years building up their contact books. A well-connected press ally can be a real asset, introducing you to business owners with complementary services, or who are potential suppliers and customers. Plus, those industry credentials mean journalists are often members of award panels - and it can't hurt if they already know your business.

So, how do you go about including PR in your marketing channel strategy? Publishing a press release is a good way to start. Or, you could respond to journalists' requests - they often post these on social media. It's important to remember, though, that PR isn't a free advert. It's news. For a journalist or editor to publish your story or comment, it needs to have a fresh angle and be interesting for their readers. 'Local hero' stories are always popular. Have you won an award, created jobs, or raised money for charity recently? Then you should consider promoting it. It's also a good idea to keep an eye on what's in the news. Journalists are interested in what's trending. A story that helps them to write a fresh take on a hot topic will improve your chances of getting published. Issuing a photo with your press release or comment also makes your content more appealing.

To succeed with PR, you'll need to have a proactive, structured approach. But this doesn't have to be expensive. You can go 100% DIY, research target publications for your business, and put aside time each month to proactively reach out and engage. Alternatively, if you don't have the time, consider hiring a freelancer or PR agency. A third option between the two is online PR platforms. These help you streamline the time you spend on PR for less than you'd spend on a PR professional's services.

Whichever of these approaches you decide to take, incorporate PR into your small business marketing. Don't ignore the opportunities an active approach to PR offers: build trust in your brand, rank higher on search engines, be more visible on social media, and help your business grow.