Public relations can either grow or sink your business rather rapidly. Positive PR can inform potential clients that yours is a trustworthy company, one that will provide reliable results and keep its name out of the negative spotlight. Therefore, it is paramount that you comprehend not only where your small- or medium-sized business stands in terms of PR but also where it is going. The following includes a few ways you can begin to create good PR for your business.
Sponsor a Community Event
You might have seen something like this around town: “Youth Baseball team sponsored by (Insert Business).” Although the advertisement is meant to highlight the sport and the athletes, you can’t help but think, “Wow, that company must really care about the community.” Sponsoring community events is one of the best ways to promote your brand. Studies have shown that, if a business has built up positive PR with the community, it will feel less of an impact in the event of an economic slump or even a scandal. Note that you should always do some in-depth research on anyone or anything you intend to sponsor. Your chosen team, charity or event will be associated with your name.
Learn From Other Companies and Organizations
One of the worst things you can do for your PR is to play it by ear and learn as you go. Take the time to study what other organizations have done to divert the glare of a negative spotlight. Stories about FEMA or even the Catholic Church can be very instructive since those organizations have dealt with plenty of bad publicity. A new law gives more justice to clergy abuse victims, which demonstrates how the Catholic Church is trying to restore its reputation after a PR disaster.
Control the Narrative
If you are not actively attempting to control the narrative surrounding your enterprise, others will do it for you. For example, your social media site might be filled with negative reviews and falsehoods about your company. Therefore, it is imperative that you address these issues professionally in order to demonstrate to the public that you care. Another way you can control the narrative is to show up on your local news channel for interviews or simply contribute to an ongoing issue regarding your industry.
Maintaining positive PR isn’t too difficult if you’ve consistently been proactive about it. Therefore, business leaders would be wise to follow these tips in order to generate positive PR and constantly improve upon it.
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