WHAT IS PR?
Public Relation and marketing professionals are the voice to help businesses and individuals communicate to the public to cultivate a positive reputation through earned communications with editorial coverage. An effective PR person will strategize and create promotions and opportunities to create awareness for a company to generate ROI, attract new investors, recruit new talent and increased sales.
In this competitive consumer-driven economy, it is ideal for a business to be visible online, not just reaching a paying customer, but reaching everyone. Businesses need to continue to conversation long-term to stay relevant and visual in their field.
As Barbara Corcoran, celebrity business mogul on Shark Tank, opined at an Inc. conference, “If you’re not being quoted in the press, you’re losing market share by losing limelight.”
A PR company will assist in overall branding, clarity and keeping the voice and message consistent across all public channels, by using traditional and social media and partnerships. This continued amplification of company messaging can be accomplished with a variety of tactics: press releases (announcements), events, grand openings, ribbon cuttings, op-eds, podcasts, radio and television interviews. In order to be prepared of any emergency issues, a PR company may also develop a crisis strategy and action plan.
HOW DO YOU FIND THE RIGHT PR PERSON?
Find a public relations representative who has relationships with the media, particularly in your industry, has a proven track record of results, social media knowledge, works within your budget and fits with your company’s personality. Ask questions such as, who will be the lead on the account, day to day?
Become a team member with the publicist, ensure you have agreed upon methods of communication as they are an extension of your marketing company. Arm them with content and timely information (most PR people are pitching 1 month out, especially for industry trade magazines).
To be successful, work together to prioritize goals and strategize the best time, campaign, style and initiative for your PR needs (I.e. – a publicist looks at all media event dates to check for minimal conflicts on a grand opening or ribbon cutting for optimal media attendance, and/or researches editorial calendars for desired topics and awareness days to maximize relevancy and coverage for a client.)
What is the difference between advertising and PR?
There’s an old PR saying: “Advertising is what you pay for; publicity is what you pray for.” For example, when you see a placed ad in the magazine, while it is ideal for exposure; reading a positive article about the company is third party validation to highlight a product, successful accomplishment or simply recognize employee culture.
Jennifer Bradley of JB Public Relations enjoys working with businesses from all industries, to keep communication and relationships with all media reporters, both locally and nationally. Just like the mission for Better Business Bureau, it is her role to promote a company, elevate their image and inspire trust, honesty, credibility to the public and consumer.
At JB Public Relations, they love to collaborate with clients, such as having a Chef on with a physician discussing heart healthy month and making the story interesting and apply to everyday life. They also love to share a client’s engagement with the community and highlight their corporate responsibility with charitable giving and volunteering.
BBB ACCREDITED BUSINESS
Some of the clients of JB Public Relations include BBB Accredited Businesses, such as Cowabunga Bay, The Hydrant Club and The Juice Standard.
As Bill Gates is quoted, “If I was down to my last dollar, I would spend it on public relations.”
Jennifer Bradley is a board member for the Better Business Bureau. Bradley also sits on the board as co-chair for the American Cancer Society, Create a Change Now, Save Red Rock, and Sunrise Children’s Foundation. For more information about JB Public Relations, visit www.jbpublicrelations.com.
