The PR Advantage
McGraw Hill did a study and found those businesses that boosted their public relations, marketing and advertising during a recession grew 275% over the 5 years proceeding. However, those businesses that cut back, if they were still in business, only grew 19%. That’s pretty striking. It doesn’t take a genius to see that the worst business decision you can make, particularly in tough times, is to cut back your marketing efforts.
The beauty of PR is that any media coverage you land, is media you can then promote. Let’s say you never receive one call as a result of a magazine article. It’s still valuable. You just need to work it. Become the story’s distributor – and I mean distributor in the most basic sense- circulate your story, spread the word, mention the story in your biography and fact sheet, use it when pitching other stories, let other media outlets know that you were featured in the article. Duplicate it and use it as a press sample. Use quotes from the story in your mailers, newsletters, ads, and marketing to help you cement your existing client base. If you have employees, distribute it through your company as a form of internal publicity. If used correctly, you can turn this article into a most powerful marketing tool.
That article can be used to pitch a producer land you your next TV interview. There is a wide range of ways that your media can be utilized to help build and grow your business. PR offers unique advantages; you become the trusted expert, your product or service becomes the news. But none of these advantages will serves you if you don’t start the process. Remember the McGraw Hill study. A business is never going to stand still it’s either going to grow or shrink. The choice is yours.
