The Public Relations Blog

Protect and improve yours with the Axia PR reputation management e-book

For everything you do in business, reputation matters. Sometimes it precedes you, other times it follows you – but it’s always there. It’s up to you to give it form and control its direction. You can learn to do this with Axia PR’s Online Reputation Managemente-book.

All it takes is one careless comment on social media or a few negative reviews to damage the good reputation it took you years to build. However, by learning to manage your online reputation, these incidents don’t have to spell disaster for your company.

Publicity and public relations are often wrongfully considered one and the same. In fact, publicity is just one aspect of public relations.

Publicity concerns a company, organization or individual’s presence in the media. Forms of publicity include news stories, articles and event information. Publicity creates public awareness and attention around a brand, and publicists gain publicity for their clients by promoting.

How a media policy can help you in a crisis

Imagine that your company is in the midst of a crisis. Perhaps your product caused an injury, you’re being sued, someone made a thoughtless comment publicly or a well-meaning campaign has gone horribly wrong. The news media is banging on the door and relentlessly calling every number at your company demanding a comment from someone – anyone. Would everyone in your organization know how to respond? Is it possible that someone might say the wrong thing, prolonging the problem and making the crisis even worse?

Gain a better understanding of how PR can help drive profitability

Everyone seems to have their own definitions and perceptions of public relations and what it does. Some see it as a blessing in disguise; others, a necessary evil.

According to the Public Relations Society of America, PR is “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics,” but this can mean different things for different companies. Once you understand more about the field of PR, the importance of PR firms and how all this can advance your mission, you will see how it affects your profitability.

Many people assumed the rise of social media (and with it the rise of amateur journalists) would turn the newspaper (and perhaps the news media itself) into a relic. And an article by Paul Eastham proposes a valid argument as to why the newspaper will survive social media and amateur content.

Eastham explains the theory that the rise of social media and the ability for users to easily copy and circulate articles without paying for them would essentially make journalism unprofitable. And then he details why such theory is flawed.

If your business has signed with a PR firm, of course you want to get the most value for your investment. As the client, there are several ways you can contribute to the success of the PR partnership and maximize your results.

When considering hiring an external public relations firm, many struggle just to locate the starting point, and even more are unclear about what assets a firm should be able to offer to ensure a proper fit. While every business has different needs, there are several basic elements that you should demand from every firm you consider.

Use PR to achieve unity and increase profitability

You’re sitting in a meeting listening to the chief information officer and chief marketing officer going at it … again. Perhaps this time it’s budget issues or a disagreement over the direction of a major campaign, but one thing is certain: Enough is enough. These are two of the most vital roles in any organization and when they’re squabbling constantly, your whole company suffers.

Before a crisis hits your company, use PR to get your plan ready

If a hurricane or tornado were coming toward your area, you would probably know exactly what to do. You would board up the windows, gather your family and maybe discuss your escape route. However, do you know what to do if a potential disaster hits your business?

A crisis can be as devastating for your company as severe weather is on a town. As with the damage from a major storm, some don’t make it; some eventually crawl out from under the rubble; and others make it through relatively unscathed. With help from PR and a comprehensive crisis plan, your company can prepare for and increase your chances for surviving a business disaster.

Learn why PR is a key component to your profitability

You’ve got a great company with loyal customers and you’re successful. That means you don’t need PR, right?

Wrong. If your business isn’t steadily growing, then it’s standing still or, worse, falling behind. This makes you an easy mark for your competition. You need to constantly find new ways to gain customers and increase your market share, and PR is vital to your success.