With the economy going through some fluctuations and businesses feeling the heat, you need to look for other avenues to keep your business afloat.
As a successful business, it should always be in your memorandum to consider ways of making money without ‘spending’ it — and using PR is one of the best ways to do so!
Here are three ways that you can use PR to boost your business and save money:
1. Engage with your community
There are various ways in which you can maintain beneficial relationships with communities within your trade that are not costly.
For example, Coca Cola ran the ‘Share a Coke’ campaign in South Africa, branding their cans and bottles with popular names across all cultures. This was something unique that a big brand had done to show relationship building.
This will add up to community engagement, marketing and advertising, all at a cost of ‘nothing’. It will also show that your brand is able to reach and engage with communities that other brands don’t engage with.
Raise funds for a worthy cause; this can be online, offline or even both. Raising funds can boost your reputation as a ‘good doer’, and it is one of the most convenient ways you can establish crowdfunding. This is where your brand provides a platform for individuals and corporates to make donations towards the cause; in essence, you can literally run the whole course and related events with a small budget.
2. Utilise social media platforms
Social media platforms have proven for the longest time that they are the cheapest way of promoting a business, no matter the size of the operation.
These platforms can all be reserved to play a different role in your business. For instance, if your business is all about visual appeal, you can consider using Instagram. Facebook can be good for activating campaigns and events, while Twitter is the place for sharing ideas and something trendy in your business.
You can even consider using an influencer or contributors as they are cheaper than hiring an ad agency to promote your business or product. This is because influencers already have a vast following and have built a reputation, making it less challenging for your business or product to gain recognition and engagement.
For example, if your business is trying to sell something through traditional advertising and marketing methods and it’s not doing so well, an influencer could persuade your audience to reconsider your business's product or service. This is because people find influencers more relatable, and the manner in which they advertise is not as ‘in your face’ as direct marketing is.
3. Improve your employer-employee relationship
When times are tough, it is good to ensure that employer-employee relations are ‘tops’, as unhappy employees could dent your reputation.
Employees are the reason why your business is surviving, even during tough economic times; they are the ones keeping your head above water. Keeping a positive relation with your staff can spread positive news about your people skills or human resources management style towards employees.
Be open to workers for suggestions. Your employees were chosen during the interview selection process for a reason; they know your business inside out and can help turn the company around.
Being open and having a good relationship with your employees can serve as positive PR to other companies. Additionally, once other people hear or see how amazing you are as an engaging business practitioner, they’ll want to work for your company.
You can even take it a step further and offer incentives to those performing well; this will encourage your staff members to strive and excel. Remember, happy workers are productive workers!
How do YOU use PR to boost your own business? Let us know in the comments section below.
Looking for some more information on the latest, trendy PR stories? Check out What we’re reading: PR edition.
*Image courtesy of Vecteezy