08 Mar 16 7:58 am
Why startups should hire a PR agency?
[url]Any organization[/url]may it be big or small requires public relations. A Startup organization needs PR to build brand awareness amongst their target audience. The organizations who have not yet hired a PR agency always have one question on their minds: Why should they opt for PR instead of advertisement? Let me answer your question by first telling you that PR and advertisement are two totally different marketing activities, people do tend to think of it as one and the same, but they are not. PR helps you tell a story about the brand to the precise audience, PR publicizes the brand; whereas advertising focuses on the product and publicizing the product. Advertising is paid media, PR is earned media.
As an old saying goes; “Advertising is what you pay for, publicity is what you pray for.”
As a startup, what you really need is someone to bridge the gap between you and your audience,to communicate the right message through the right channel. But usually what happens is that a startup is so engrossed in creating a desirable product, that building a brand name becomes secondary. A PR agency tries to have a better understanding about your brand to educate the media and the public in the right manner, as to what the brand is all about. This can’t be attainedby flooding the media with news, but creating awareness about you amongst the right people.
A PR agency has an adequate and qualified staff supporting your business. If and when a crisis arises for your business, your PR agency can turn the tables and make the situation favorable. Here are few reasons as to why businesses and especially startup businesses, should hire a PR agency:
To maximize a launch
PR helps the organization in launching a product by making the target audience aware about the brand and the product through newspapers, magazines, and social media. So that people get to know about the product and the brand. New products, upgrades, solutions and services are hitting the virtual shelves at an immense rate in both speed and quantity. Making sure your new product launch cuts through the noise and reaches the correct audience who would appreciate your product. To achieve this goal, not only a great product is required, but a considered and bold approach is equally important. Most organization understands how important launching a new product or service is to the success of their business. PR is not just writing a press release and putting it over a wire service, it’s more than this.
Media Relationships
Professional public relations organizations have relationships with media houses. These bonds play an important rolein getting coverage for your brand through press releases and articles in newspapers, magazines, blogs, high-profile websites and podcasts. When a message comes through a professional PR firm, the credibility of the message tends to increase.
PR can Revitalize a Product or Service
When a product is at its declining stage, but there is a scope of retention; through correct PR activities even a dead product can come back to life.PR agencies know how to look at a brand, product or service and see something new – something worthy.
PR leads to new opportunities
An agency partnership can lead to new opportunities. Editors of publication industry may contact the PR agency to help fill editorial space and find experts to interview for their articles. Event directors often contact PR agencies to fill vacant conference speaker slots and panel session, knowing they will usually have clients to fill the slot. PR agencies typically work with a variety of businesses over many years and have discovered tactics that work well.
Makes you stand out in crowd
Small businesses who are trying to compete in large, established, or crowded markets may see some good interest from hiring a PR agency. A good agency will be able to establish a strategy that focuses on your brand’s strengths that make you standout. Often times a PR agency can help you break through the noise and reach the aimed target, quicker.
Sculpting Your Image
You don’t want whole aspect of you and your business in the eyes of public. A professional PR agency will acuminate your image and emphasize the positive points — some of which you may not even see yourself. PR is not about lying or misleading; it is about accentuating the positive. A professional PR firm will find the positive and make sure people think of you as well as your business as a contributor to the community.
Increased sales
If your product or service is revolutionary acceptable and it catches people’s attention when they read about it, the sales will shortly follow. If your product or service isn’t much different from everything out in the market, sales will reach with continued effort and coverage as your brand name becomes visible.
Working with a PR agency does not have to be a valuable proposition. There are capable, experienced agencies to fit everybody’s budget. Generally however, smaller firms will be lesser expensive than the larger ones.
