As a business, your reputation in the marketplace plays a huge role in how successful you become.

If you do great work - provide stellar services or create excellent products—there’s a good chance you’ll attract the right patronage.

Nonetheless, it would be complacent and risky to presume customers will roll over themselves to buy from you simply on the basis of your good product, especially if they are unaware that you exist in the first place. In an increasingly competitive business world, you must leave nothing to chance and always put your best foot forward.

And what if trouble comes calling? Do you have a strategy or plan to ensure your business survives? Are you equipped to tackle negative publicity? These are just a few reasons you need a strategic PR plan.

The truth is, it’s not enough to do a good job (even though it’s the first step), also, you must let people know you do a good job.

Against this background, here are six reasons to deploy a strategic PR plan in your business:

Authentic Brand Storytelling: As fake news continues to gain more grounds, it has become imperative that brands seize their narrative. Also, unlike advertising and other forms of marketing campaigns and promotions which tend to come off as inauthentic and are often viewed with scepticism, PR is accepted as an original way to tell your brand story. Whether you are sharing your message through a blog post, social media, or the newspapers, you can draw your target audience in with a compelling narrative about your journey and the value you offer.

Lead Generation: Every business is on the hunt for new customers and PR is an effective way to generate fresh leads. Your prospects and potential customers are likely to connect with your brand when they see you on the platforms and media they engage with.

Eliminates Ambiguity: When you take ownership of your own story and tell it in a clear and concise manner, the chances of being misunderstood are greatly reduced. With proper PR management, your business is always one step ahead of a potential crisis or negative press.

Cost-Effectiveness: The fact that PR is inexpensive makes it an ideal option for growing businesses and not just established ones or huge organisations. PR can form a part of integrated marketing communication that incorporates earned and sponsored media. A straight-to-the-point press release on national media platforms costs far less than a magazine spread or billboard ad, yet, may be more effective in helping your business achieve its goals.

Crisis Mitigation: Every forward-thinking business prepares for the unexpected. A dissatisfied customer who employs social media to register their displeasure, a mischievous competitor who explores a weakness in your process or even a genuine error on your part can have devastating consequences on your business. Mitigate these kinds of situations through good-old PR.

Brand Value Promotion: There’s no better way to communicate the value your brand offers than creating and distributing well-crafted content on strategic media and platforms. No one can explain your mission and vision better than you, and PR writing and management will help you achieve this. By communicating what you are all about with clarity, your tribe will connect with you and go-ahead to support you.

Great PR is a continuous process of building relevant relationships, establishing authority, carving a niche in the market, telling your brand story, and managing your reputation. It can be the difference between building a successful brand and struggling to stay afloat.

At MMCC Group, we cover all the bases of PR and go the extra mile by leveraging our expertise and relationship with relevant media houses to position your brand in the best possible way to your target audience.

Need to come up with a PR plan that helps you achieve your organisational goals? Contact us.