Richard Brandson said “Publicity is absolutely critical. A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front page ad.”
The concept of leading the story and gaining exposure by use of emotional connection is not new, but it’s definitely not being used to the fullest.
The front page ad reference is recognized as a paid space, limited to copy and image. With a public relations story – there are no limits and it doesn’t put people on the defensive as being ‘sold to’ but rather engaging them in an account of events relating to a story. Public relation stories can piggyback off of current events or popular news cycles. By riding the coattails of someone else’s exposure you can put yourself or your business in a popular view.
Using PR to get recognition is often underused in the marketing world. This can be an untapped organic traffic source for your business. When you are creating a story and sharing it you are developing an emotional connection with your customers. This is building trust. Trust is the foundation for current and future customers.
Once you have a foundation of trust and an emotional connection, your customers can tie emotions and memories to you and your business. This is a pathway to repeat business because the customer has created a tie to you in their mind. This gives you friend status. Friends like doing business with friends.
This emotional connection is magical when designed and crafted correctly. Good business practices combined with solid public relations strategy creates a perfect recipe for success.
