Although public relations (PR) is a well-established marketing tool, industrial technology companies are typically sales-focused, and product marketing managers demand sales leads from marketing programmes. With earned editorial content often offering little in the way of clicks, conversions and return on investment, making the case for public relations, even as part of a wider campaign, can be challenging.
Turning to my colleagues for a concise way of justifying the value of PR, the responses I got were: when you are looking for the latest information do you watch the news or listen to the commercials? Another said: which offers more credibility, you saying how great your own product is within an advert or a third party saying it within an article? Another colleague described PR as building brand reputation over time and used the delightful phrase “planting seeds that’ll grow into a forest of credibility”. Or put another way, PR is not about getting someone’s phone number, it’s about others preparing the ground, so that when you ask for the number, it’s more likely you are given it.
PR does have metrics of course, but they are different to those used for other marketing. For example, when gaining editorial coverage, a measurable metric would be the reach of the publication or the number of followers a journalist has on social media. The different objectives of PR can be measured in different ways:
- Awareness: reach or views
- Reputation: surveys, polls, or viewing conversations about your technology
- Behaviour: how many join an email list, register for an event, etc.
Although these may help, a little more depth to your argument probably won’t go amiss. So, first things first, what is PR? PR is the strategic management of how your business communicates with the world. PR can be one of the most cost-effective marketing tools helping companies to shape perceptions, build relationships and influence the way others see your brand. Making connections and building trust are essential for long-term business success and this is where PR delivers value.
PR provides a strong foundation for marketing efforts. It is crucial for building credibility, managing reputation, increasing brand awareness, fostering relationships and controlling the narrative. PR helps businesses stand out, attract investment and engage audiences by creating authentic content and positioning leaders as experts. It is generally regarded as more trustworthy and effective for long-term growth and sales than traditional advertising alone.
Improving reputation – Business success is enhanced through trust and having a good reputation. PR continuously helps to strengthen reputation and brand value. Should a negative event arise that could impact that reputation, crisis management in the form of strategic communications can be used to control the narrative, inform stakeholders and mitigate severe reputational damage. Existing relations with trade media can also help regain trust.
Promoting brand value – Promotion of your technology and services through reputed media can increase credibility. Delivering your desired message in a strategic way can influence potential customers and boost business growth. Press releases, articles and social media posts help you to connect with your existing and potential customers and allow them to discover the qualities and benefits of your solutions.
Improving online presence – The online presence of a business is critical and PR can help increase traffic to your website and create new customers. Digital PR, which incorporates content, outreach and digital channels (social media, online publications, etc.) also helps to enhance the SEO ranking of your website, which can directly impact sales. SEO performance relies on high quality content, which itself helps attract website visitors.
Increasing sales – PR is an essential marketing tool that is used as part of wider marketing programmes to help garner customers and sales. PR helps sales by building credibility, increasing brand visibility, and accelerating the sales cycle through strategic storytelling and reputation management. By securing media coverage and thought leadership, PR fosters trust, allowing sales teams to overcome objections and engage prospects more effectively.
Media and technologies to support your PR
- Trade media – Working with trade and technical media offers long-term benefits and opportunities to your business. The publishing of your news, application stories and thought leadership articles will assist your company and brand in reaching the appropriate target audience.
- Broadcasting – Utilising video and podcasts that are hosted on your own website, social media or trade media allows you to promote your technology or service to your target audience in media that are more readily consumed by the latest generation of engineers.
- Social media – Social media platforms such as Facebook, X and LinkedIN offer the opportunity to reach your target audiences. High-quality PR content creates the opportunity to interact with your customers and gain immediate feedback. Close relations with journalists and influencers can help amplify news and information.
- AI tools – Artificial intelligence tools assist PR by enhancing the quality and speed of content creation.
Conclusion
Although PR may not always be able to provide the desired metrics of clicks and conversions, it is an essential marketing tool offering the opportunity for a transformative impact on a business. Strategic use of PR will enhance your business reputation, credibility and trust, helping you to connect with your target audience and achieve your long-term business goals.