As the owner of a PR firm, I see real-time what's happening to budgets at companies big and small. Several conversations with clients last week only galvanized my thinking that in this economy (and one could argue really anytime), the role of PR must expand well beyond press relations. Today, PR needs to be a more strategic selling tool. Here's three ways to get started:
1. Focus on the Entire Sales Channel: Too often, PR pros get starry eyes for Oprah and Good Morning America. Hey, these are great hits, no doubt. But with each and every sales person, buyer, sales associate vying for the same shrinking end-user dollar, you need to tend to each link in the sales chain.
PR folks should be called upon to create and often deliver messages and programs that have real effects on sell-in and sell-through. For instance, we've begun offering field-marketing programs to extend shrinking client-side operational staffs.
2. Engage Social Media: Take off the training wheels! Too many companies are afraid of social media for fear that they will damage their business. It’s understandable, but based on a false assumption. Your brand is being judged and debated daily anyway… or worse, ignored. If you don’t participate in the conversation, you are choosing to let others define your values, your products and your reason for being.
If you’re not there yet, start by getting yourself on Facebook. And research and read the blogs that are important to your business every day. If you don’t start here, you can’t hope to use these tools for your business. (If you’re interested in a step-by-step guide to social media marketing, shoot me an email.)
3. Use PR Programs as a Sell-in Tool: Retailers and distributors alike are afraid to take on inventory. Credit is tight, and no one wants to tie up cash or get caught short. Therefore, it’s imperative that you work very closely with your selling partners to define exactly how you plan to support sell-through. Things like ads or co-op have been expected, but now you need to do more to close the gap between general awareness and sales.
Localized promotions, social media campaigns, in-store events, training and sales promotions must be truly integrated into your retailers' own efforts, and in fact, look to the consumer to be driven by them as well as you. Make it turnkey, and they’ll thank you for it with POs.
The bottom line is that PR needs to be stretched to do more. And the good pros should be okay, in fact, excited. The same tenets of "good storytelling sells media" can easily be put to work to sell your product or service, no matter your industry.
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