Get your company on the right track by starting each day strong
Entertainer Robert Orben once quipped, “Every day, I look through the Forbes list of richest people in America. If I’m not there, I go to work.” Likewise, there are actions you should commit to doing each day for the success of your company.
For the sake of your profitability, your morning routine must consist of more than an iced coffee or sending company-wide emails at 6 a.m. Here are two tactics that PR pros use that you should get into the habit of performing daily to increase your visibility and bottom line:
1. Check for your company’s name in the news; if it’s not there, make it happen.
Paid advertising and other media you control, such as your website and social media pages, are simply what you want to say about yourself. The public sees this as essentially tooting your own horn.
Earned news coverage carries the same weight as a third-party endorsement for your company in the minds of consumers – it’s someone else telling the world how wonderful you are. You may want to regularly run searches for your CEO’s name and for general news about your industry.
These days, before they will purchase from you, consumers need to trust you. Although the best way to earn that trust is to have a great product that does what it’s supposed to do, part of it can also be built in the form of positive news coverage.
A quality PR agency can help you find the media outlets best suited to your company’s needs and target audiences. Then, it will work to pitch the right reporters, tell your story and earn you increased visibility from news coverage.
There are numerous ways to do this, such as having an updated online newsroom on your website and including the right visuals to attract journalists’ attention. PR firms pitch media every day, have made genuine connections with media representatives and understand how to position your company and your news in the best possible light.
2. Check your reputation; if it’s not perfect, fix it.
Studies have shown that consumers travel through 60 percent of the sales cycle before ever talking to your salespeople. As they move along the buyer’s journey, they are collecting information about your company and your competition.
What they learn about your company online and through word of mouth has a huge effect on their buying decisions. Managing your reputation is the only way to ensure that what they see and hear is positive.
It takes just a few negative comments on one or two review sites to cause significant damage to your company’s reputation. An unexpected crisis that isn’t handled properly can also cause consumers to lose faith and turn away from your brand.
With help from the right PR firm, you can learn how to monitor your online presence, know what’s being said about you and fix any issues that are undermining all the good aspects of your organization. You can also work to control the conversation by encouraging positive reviews, starting a blog or promoting media hits.
Get help from a PR firm
Even if you have your own in-house PR staff, they can become overwhelmed handling these issues in addition to all the other tasks you require. For example, they might already have their hands full with publications, events and internal communications.
Let the experts at Axia Public Relations relieve some of the burden. We can devote full time to your media relations, reputation management, social media campaigns and crisis communications so you can get back to your everyday goals of growing your business and securing your future. Contact us today or register for our 60-Second Impact for additional helpful tools and tips.
Lisa Goldsberry is a writer for Axia Public Relations with more than 15 years of public relations experience. She specializes in business, higher education and technology PR. Connect with Axia Public Relations on Twitter @axiapr.
Featured image credit: 123rf.com
Topics: public relations
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