Public recognition and trust are huge aspects of business success. By virtue of the stories they publish, the publicity in the media can develop awareness, extend credibility, generate trust, and motivate the audience’s responses toward a company and its products and services. Successful businesses often have solid working relationships with several news publications, including bloggers, journalists, editors, and producers.

Because running your business is a full-time job, you should have professionals handling the vital PR responsibilities that can seriously impact your business reputation. A good Public Relations agency can help a business create a unique brand identity for itself and helps you tell a story about your brand in the most unique way to your audience.

Following are seven reasons that you should hire a PR agency.

PR Agencies Create and Maintain Brand Awareness

Word of mouth is a powerful tool, but not enough to build a solid brand. Whether you’re a start-up or an established company, seeking general awareness or initiating a rebrand, your PR agency will be the go-to experts in strategizing the best action plan for the campaign. They’ll work closely with your team to determine the right messaging, develop content and other important pieces of the project, which may include social, design, video, and media relations.

PR Agencies Understand the Media

PR agencies have an intimate and broad understanding of the media. This doesn’t mean just a strong network of media contacts and relationships (which of course is also true) but media understanding requires a certain type of instinct.

Businesses should not underestimate the importance of having a strategic partner offer an independent evaluation of newsworthy events. Not all news is newsworthy. Public relations agencies are more capable of distinguishing ideas that provide clear-cut, positive communication with the designated audience. An outside viewpoint can be valuable in discerning business strengths that distinguish the business from others. A good PR agency will understand each media outlet and their audience and tailor their client’s story to them.

Related: What to do – and not to do – when writing stories for the media

PR Agencies are Media Specialists

Public Relations agencies are media specialists that have strategically built up an extensive array of contacts, relationships and connections with journalists, editors and publicists involved with mass media. Journalists provide free publicity for businesses, and they are much more likely to read and accept story pitches from recognizable sources on specific subjects of interest.

PR agencies research which journalists actively write about the industry. Journalists typically request a press kit from PR agencies that details basic facts about the business, including:

• Director profiles.
• Business history.
• Photographs.
• News releases.

Along with writing story pitches and sending them directly to journalists, PR agencies write and circulate news releases, orchestrate media contacts for special events to generate public awareness, increase familiarity through social media and generate content and blogs for websites, newsletters, social media and more. PR companies that have a strong reputation for professional and ethical conduct can shield, enhance, or develop a business’s reputation via mass media.

A good PR agency will make sure that their client is able to be seen and heard about in a certain type of way across various mediums whilst giving the media something that works for them. PR professionals are there to translate the meaning of a brand into a story for the media.

PR Agencies Are Exceptional at Crisis Management

Crises can hit in any business and wreak havoc on the company’s credibility. Public relations companies are trained to react immediately and proactively to mitigate damages of PR crises.

Partnering with a PR agency can provide a multitude of benefits for your company. From improving your reputation and growing your brand to developing a social media strategy that reaches your target audience, your business will thrive with the help of PR. 

Reduces Business Costs

Public relations agencies are now integrated with other services to boost their clients’ businesses, such as offering marketing strategies and SEO services. Hiring a PR agency will cut down the costs of having to use different tactics that businesses are required to do now to grow and bring in new clients. You will gain access to and receive advice on various other communication and marketing disciplines such as social media marketing, podcasting, graphic design, video marketing and more by working with a PR agency.

PR Agencies Offer A Unique Perspective on ROI for Your Business

How does PR contribute to the bottom line? Public relations are a key piece of the marketing pie and an important tool for driving traffic, which can lead to new business prospects, ultimately generating revenue for the company. In fact, there are PR metrics that can be provided beyond the typical media impressions report to show progress. This may include social activity, conversion rates and website traffic, among others. Your partners will not only create the report but will implement changes based on the results to continue moving the campaign towards its end goals. 

Extend Your Team’s Capabilities

When you hire a PR team, it should feel like an extension of your own. Beyond the regular check ins and status updates, they are there for brainstorms, if you’re seeking advice or if you simply need a sounding board for a second opinion.

Conclusion

Public Relations is one of the most effective ways to build on marketing strategies and create a solid online reputation.

Public relations is about sending the right messages to the right place and the right people, creating a stronger brand reputation. PR agencies work alongside their clients to help them achieve this and promote them within their clients’ industries. PR is an area that can transform the future and profitability of a business. Used properly, PR can give a company the ability to overcome almost any obstacle it may face. This is some of what makes PR so essential.

PR agencies need to understand the relentless pressure the media face every day, which is why CF Communications provides information to targeted journalists, whilst respecting deadlines, embargo requirements and exclusives. This has helped us build strong media relations, where we ensure that each story we pitch is new, relevant, honest, and timely.

Our team manages press conferences, announcements and launches, closely monitoring and measuring all coverage.

CF Communications strategically conceptualise and manage public relations campaigns to influence, engage, and build relationships with key stakeholders across a host of platforms to shape and frame the public perception of your brand.

Book a free consultation today! There is no obligation, we want to understand a bit about your goals and your marketing vision. During the call we will best be able to advise you and direct you to the best services for you and your company.

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