In the media bag of goodies, Public Relations is a great tool to manage your company’s profile, communication, relationships, and business potential in overseas markets.
International PR Specialist, Kevin Kelway discusses the value of well managed PR
Yes, PR builds your brand awareness, maintains a credibility, unlocks potential business prospects, and crisis management is the special get out of jail card to salvage or repair a business reputation.
The art of PR can require persuading influencers in the traditional and social media worlds in achieving positive media coverage, but this is only part of the PR and marketing jigsaw.
Businesses always say “how do you evaluate PR?”
Much of my earlier work was measured on advertising space measurements and costs, reputation, brand strength etc.
But now, with digital tracking and analytics, PR can have massive results on your short and long-term goals for your business especially working in export markets across the globe.
Public Relations can be visible and invisible, just like the constant decisions over PR spend versus advertising spend for companies.
I believe PR is more powerful than advertising – as the messaging gets others to talk about your media release, your brand, with the right story to tell.
Research is the key and establishing your audience
- Media and Blogger Lists
- Off the peg ‘one stop media releases’, PR online, photography, and videos for journalists and online media distributions
- BE THE STORY – creative story telling
- Anniversaries and award nominations
- Piggy-backing stories in the local, national, and international media – giving comments
- Stats and surveys, could be a great business story!
- Alternatively send your blog to editors and write letters to newspapers
- Help a journalist- with mutually beneficial stories
- Explore what is going on in the local, national, and international business pages around the internet on topics surrounding your business
- Regular Tweets, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other online platforms
- Content marketing
- The old-fashioned phone technique still has a role in PR
As I’ve said in earlier blogs about old fashioned media PR and face-to-face communications is still very important in the toolkit of PR delivery.
Events, conferences, networking, and talking directly to other business leaders is still one of the biggest recipes for generating business in any market places across the globe.
Look out for a series of Media Master-classes delivered by International Trade Matters in 2019 for businesses interested in PR and marketing activities to promote their businesses in the UK and overseas markets.
Kevin Kelway is International PR specialist for International Trade Matters and Director of Dorcas Media
To find out more, contact International Trade Matters today