When a business is first starting out, building a positive reputation is a key step on the list of must-do’s. Many companies rely on the strength of their customer relationships and the value of their offerings to create strong word-of-mouth among target audiences. While these elements are critically important for the effective marketing of products and services, some companies fail to prioritize the parallel development of a public relations strategy—which is an equally critical part of building a solid, thriving business.
Below, 17 members of Forbes Agency Council explore reasons why a business that has no reputational damage to mitigate, nor crisis to weather, should nonetheless invest in a PR strategy. Read on to learn how PR can help a company achieve a level of success that branding, marketing and advertising alone can’t.
1. PR Provides A Foundation For All Other Marketing
PR is about relationships, image, trust and the depth of your story. These are only built through long-term storytelling and audience interaction. None of these can be built overnight. Reputations built over time are more resilient, even during a period of indiscretion or crisis. Investing in PR now provides the baseline and foundation upon which all other marketing can be built, in both good times and bad. – Brian Sullivan, Sullivan Branding
2. Media Relations Is More Influential Than Advertising
Public relations is a broad discipline that addresses the different audiences that are important to any business—from customers to employees. Media relations is the least predictable and most influential discipline, as it implies an unpaid, third-party endorsement. Advertising is messaging that is paid for and demonstrably less influential. Moreover, advertising and other paid vehicles will not get you out of a crisis. – Lee Caraher, Double-Forte
3. PR Consistently Publicizes Capabilities And Expertise
PR provides consistency in publicizing the company’s capabilities and expert staff. Firms use press releases, blog posts, social media posts, bylined articles and media interviews to continuously build awareness and knowledge about the company and its value proposition, solutions and ability to execute. These are among the factors that increase venture valuation and provide opportunities for exit. – Jim Caruso, M1PR, Inc. d/b/a MediaFirst PR – Atlanta
4. A PR Strategy Helps Ensure Business Growth
Your business has a story to tell, and public relations is the discipline to convey it. Engage stakeholders, build credibility and gain trust. That helps a business grow! – Jim Heininger, Dixon|James & Rebranding Experts
5. PR Is Powerful For Improving Search Engine Rankings
PR is a consistent way to build authority and expand your organization’s visibility and brand awareness. What most people don’t realize is how powerful PR is for improving search engine rankings. As an SEO agency with PR copywriters, we have seen press releases generate coveted backlinks. This is why we include PR in our SEO analysis and strategy services. – Robby White, The Nine
Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
6. PR Is A Cost-Effective Stakeholder Relationship-Builder
PR, which is literally building a relationship with your public (your audience), creates a long-term positive perception and reputation. Although it’s possible to do this using other tactics, marketing and advertising will inevitably focus on customers. PR is unique in its ability to build relationships with other stakeholders in a cost-effective way. – Mike Maynard, Napier Partnership Limited
7. PR Provides Validation And Builds Trust And Credibility
A robust PR strategy is essential for building trust and credibility. It goes beyond marketing by fostering key relationships and enhancing your brand’s image. PR provides third-party validation through media coverage, amplifying your brand’s reach and impact. It’s not just about speaking about you, but getting others to speak for you. – Daniyal Zafar, Zap Media
8. Proactive PR Boosts Brand Awareness And Perception
Crisis comms and rapid response are important, but they are reactionary and are about mitigation rather than proactively improving awareness and perception of your brand. Proactive PR focuses on building thought leadership, authority and emotional connections to a brand. While marketing and advertising are important too, there’s a gravitas that comes with earned media that money can’t buy. – Jodi Amendola, Amendola Communications
9. PR Helps Build Goodwill In Your Community And Industry
Before a crisis, smart and innovative organizations leverage the power of public relations to build a strong brand and great reputation. That way, when your organization has a crisis—and every organization eventually will—you’ve already built up goodwill in the community and industry so that you’re given the opportunity to present your case objectively to a trusting audience. – Jason Mudd, Axia Public Relations
10. PR Increases Visibility More Affordably Than Advertising
Public relations fosters trust, a valuable asset that paid advertising can’t buy but earned media can. PR nurtures relationships with influencers, amplifying your brand’s reach. It builds a robust, long-term brand narrative that shapes public perception. PR is often a more cost-effective way to increase visibility than advertising. When a storm does arise, a strong backbone of PR supports your brand. – Stacy Jones, Hollywood Branded
11. PR Engages Your Audience And Clients Where They Are
PR is so much more than damage control! It should be viewed as one piece of your overall strategy, woven in seamlessly and with intention. It creates additional avenues that reinforce trust and your reputation, reaffirms your brand’s position as a leader in your industry and engages your audience and clients wherever they are, not just where you are. – Marc Hardgrove, The HOTH
12. Investing In A Crisis PR Program Can Speed Mitigation
The only company that doesn’t need a public relations strategy for managing crises is the company that knows the future. Investing in a crisis PR program can provide a brand with crisis mitigation while limiting the damage to its reputation. This type of work is earned, not paid for, which is why it is a critical complement to a brand’s other marketing and advertising strategies. – Roger Hurni, Off Madison Ave
13. PR Builds A Positive Image To Help Weather Crises
PR helps shape public perception, and therefore goes beyond branding, marketing and advertising by strengthening a brand’s reputation. Helping a business establish and maintain credibility via a positive image will help the business weather the storm if a crisis does happen. Working on your reputation after a crisis happens is like buying fire insurance after your house burned down. – Uri Samet, Buzz Dealer
14. PR Manages Many Tasks Crucial To Long-Term Success
PR manages many tasks for a business that are crucial for long-term success. PR builds relationships, manages a company’s reputation, positions the business as a thought leader, prepares it for crises, enhances brand credibility and manages public perception. It provides trust, authenticity and long-term success beyond what branding, marketing and advertising alone can achieve. – Merag Shahzad, impaktful
15. Investments In PR Pay Dividends In Key Business Areas
Think about a strong corporate reputation as equity or even currency. You invest in it over time, and it pays dividends, such as attracting talent or investors or increasing public confidence. Should a crisis or issue befall the organization, a stellar reputation, along with qualified PR counsel, will be there to help mitigate the damage. No amount of advertising can make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. – Carol Levine, energi PR Inc
16. PR Offers A Great Way To Raise Your Profile On Google
Investing in PR is an excellent way to raise the profile of your business—not just among customers, but also with Google. Strong PR for an agency can have a positive knock-on effect in terms of SEO performance, which can drive awareness, traffic and leads from more commercially led landing pages. – Sam Hurley, NOVOS
17. PR Fosters Deeper Connections And Loyalty
PR goes beyond branding, marketing and advertising by fostering deeper connections. Through storytelling, media relations, thought leadership, social media engagement, influencers and community involvement, PR creates authentic interactions, builds trust and fosters loyalty, resulting in meaningful connections that go beyond transactional relationships. – Dmitrii Kustov, Regex SEO
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