What Is Public Relations (aka PR)?
The PR landscape is ever-changing, and as a business owner, it can be difficult to navigate it on your own. In fact, the most common question we receive is “What exactly is PR?”. So today, we’re going to clarify what PR is, why it’s important and how it can impact your business.
So what is PR? The simple answer is “brand awareness”. Public relations is all about storytelling. It’s how you present your brand to the world — whether you are sharing your brand story through editorial features, partnering with influencers to promote your products, hosting a brand event in your target market or collaborating with another brand in your niche. All of those PR moments create touch points for new and potential customers to discover your brand.
Why is PR important for my brand?
If you own a business, you most likely have heard of the '“sales funnel” or “customer journey”. This is a tool to show the different stages that a customer goes through before making a purchase. So let’s talk about how public relations plays into that journey.
Your target customer will start outside of this cycle, so your initial goal should be to bring them into that Awareness phase. That’s where PR comes in. The Awareness piece can come from a wide variety of PR moments: a customer reading an article that spotlights your brand, their favorite content creator raving about your products on TikTok, hearing your founder story on their favorite podcast, etc. Those PR moments can plant the seeds of brand awareness in the customer’s mind, which pushes them into the next phase of their customer journey.
IMPORTANT CAVEAT: It’s important to remember that while PR is an essential piece of your marketing plan, it shouldn’t be the only part of your plan. Press mentions, product placements and media interviews are great for establishing credibility among potential customers, but your marketing and advertising strategies are what will turn that brand awareness into sales. So sharing the press mention on your social channels, creating paid social ads that lead to the product mentioned in the article, retargeting potential customers who visit your website after reading the article — all of these digital marketing tactics will ensure that you get the greatest return on your PR investment. (Here are more ideas on how to leverage your press placements.)
How can PR impact my business?
Another amazing benefit of public relations is that it can engage potential customers who are already aware of your brand but haven’t made a purchase yet. For example, let’s say there is a potential customer who saw your skincare brand featured on Allure.com and already follows your brand on Instagram. They are past the Awareness phase and have shown some interest, so they are currently sitting in the Interest phase of the cycle. An additional PR moment can keep them moving along in their customer journey. In this example, you could partner with relevant influencers to increase brand awareness on social media; you can collaborate with creators who have already earned the trust of your target audience and can advocate for your brand.
PR can also act as a reengagement tool with past customers. Let’s say you have a customer that purchased from your brand in the past but hasn’t repurchased yet. When that customer sees their favorite influencer talking about your new product launch or hears you being interviewed on their favorite beauty podcast, their interest in your brand can be reignited. It can inspire them to revisit your website or social channels to re-engage with your brand, repurchase your products and increase their long-term loyalty as a customer.
The goal of public relations is to generate brand awareness among your target audience through creative storytelling. It’s a crucial piece of the overall marketing puzzle and when properly leveraged, public relations can encourage brand awareness, engagement and brand loyalty among potential customers. It’s a win-win!
About Rani Public Relations
We are Rani Public Relations, a strategic PR and marketing agency that helps female-led businesses reach their ideal audience. Our mission is to empower, elevate and advocate for underrepresented brands in the ever-changing media landscape. With our creative expertise and passion for brand storytelling, we will help your business get the recognition it deserves.
