...

In our blog post last month we outlined the difference between, PR, Marketing and Advertising.  In this article we are going to delve a little deeper and list some of the tools that you can use to PR your brand or business. 

As we have already explained public relations helps to drive awareness of your business and create brand loyalty.  Put simply the more people who are talking positively about your brand, the more people who are helping to spread the word about your product or service.  But how can you get your message out. 

1. Press or Media Release - a well written and targeted release is a great way of informing the media about your product or service.  It is important to make sure it has been written with the audience of the magazine, newspaper, TV or Radio station in mind.  If you wish to create local interest for your brand think about how you can make your story relevant to the local community.  
2. Photos - These are so important, great product photography whether that is a cut out shot or a lifestyle image can be one of the biggest aids when it comes to securing media coverage.   Include photos in your press release and also have them to hand so that you can send them out when journalists ask for them.  Some times the media wish to run a story without taking their own photos, in this instance you will need to be able to send them high resolution images, these are usually Jpeg files.   Consider using a file sharing service such as Wetransfer or Dropbox to help you send a collection of high resolution images, that way you don't run the risk of clogging email in boxes.  
3. Video - Depending on the nature of your business you might wish to create videos to promote your brand.  These are a brilliant way of showcasing what a new product can do whether that's the latest kitchen gadget, beauty product or fashion must have.  If you are a service provider you can use video to show case your experience in a particular field, this could be via an interview or in the form of a client show case or discussion group.  You might even want to set up your own YouTube channel so that you can share your videos. 
4. Social Media -  Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, and Pinterest, all have their part to play in your PR strategy and can be great tools to help get your brand noticed.  Make sure that your posts are engaging, relevant to your audience and that you don't bombard your followers.  Don't feel pressurised into to creating accounts across all these platforms for your company from the start.  If your customers are only active on Facebook then its not worthwhile spending your energy on Pinterest for example.  Once you're getting a good level of interaction on one platform consider adding another, this is particualy important if your an SME or Micro Business and will be handling the Social Media side of the business yourself.  Don't forget that you in order to increase your social media followers you need to make your customers aware of the platforms you are using, so it's working making sure your details are added to your email signature, website and business cards.  Lastly don't forget that you will need to monitor your social media accounts regularly and have a strategy in place to deal with any negative posts that might crop up.  If you need help with keeping track of your Social Media then you might find Hootsuite or Tweetdeck useful. 
5. Blogs - A well written blog serves two purposes, firstly it helps with your Google Analytics by providing fresh, author owned content for your website. Secondly, it allows you to express your brand's personality.  Use it to share your thoughts and advice on anything that is related to your brand.  So if you're a beauty brand think about tips on how to wear the latest make-up fashions, or if you're a homes an interiors brand you might want to include advice on storage, fabulous things you've found or the latest design project you're working on.  Don't forget you can share your blog on your Social Media pages to help spread the word. 
6. Newsletters -  If you've gone to the trouble of asking your customers for their permission to collect their data with a view to marketing to them in the future it is important that you utilise this resource.  Many businesses fail to use this resource for a number of reasons, but often its because they think its going to be too time consuming.  With a little bit of care and attention it is possible to create something that will really help you to grow your business and increase sales.  If you're not sure where to start, Mailchimp is very easy to use and you can create professional looking newsletters very quickly. 

​If you would like to learn more or find out how we can help with your public relations and marketing please feel free to contact us .