Consumer confidence is high, and the economic outlook is bright. If trends remain the same, marketing budgets will increase again in 2018. While many B2B companies spend about 10% of their annual budget on marketing, consumer product marketing can reach more than 20%. With that in mind, 2018 might be the year to add public relations to your business strategy or increase your existing budget.
Here’s why:
- There are more opportunities to tell your company’s story if you know how. The latest news about your organization might not make national headlines but there are more news outlets now than ever before. Many times, a local or regional media outlet or trade publication will provide a more targeted audience reach than a national one.
- You can publish your own story when needed. If the media doesn’t pick up a story about your company, you can post it on your website or send it out to customers through an online newsletter service. For a bigger push, you can promote the story on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach a broader audience.
- Human relationships are essential. Although we love the convenience of technology, consumers crave the personal touch. Through public relations, you can strengthen relationships with customers, make an impact in your community, and reach out to specific target audiences. These relationships will then help solidify your brand and help tell your story.
If you already include public relations as part of your business strategy, take the time to review that work to make sure it’s targeted and effective. Regardless of how you handle PR, the efforts should ultimately contribute to growing your business.
If you don’t know where to start, ask for referrals of top-notch PR people from other business owners. Most importantly, make sure you find an individual or agency that is professional (check out the local chapter of the Public Relations Society of America), can scale work according to your organization’s needs, and has the experience to positively impact your company’s objectives.