Public relations is an absolutely integral part of any businesses recipe for success, in fact, a well thought out and properly enacted public relations plan can be the single most important part of a company’s marketing – and aside from a good product and hard working employees, the most important part of running a business.

Public relations will determine exactly how your company is viewed or perceived in the public eye. Current and potential customers like to be ensured that they are, or will be patronizing a company that cares. A public relations department can organize a plan of attack to let the consumer know that your company cares about people and the environment, and about any other burgeoning social issues. A good PR department will also make the public aware that your company has a new product on the horizon and why they have to be first in line to purchase it, or that your company is branching out to offer new services and how that will make you stronger and more capable of handling their needs as consumers.

Yet another great facet and important role of a public relations department is damage control. If something, anything goes wrong and the public is made aware that the problem arose from one of your company’s employee’s actions or due to a particular policy – a good PR department will be the first one on the scene to correct it. Writing releases for apology or correction of error, along with releases stating the fact that new employees and procedures are in place to prevent any future problems can often save a companies reputation in the public eye.

Inside or Out?

Many companies have their very own public relations departments, made up of what could be any number of employees who are responsible for a wide variety of duties including: producing eye catching press kits, writing poignant press releases, organizing charitable events and contributions and some general damage control.

This is usually the best option for large companies with big budgets in place for advertising and payroll. A good full time PR department is great if ever there are cases of an emergency that needs to be dealt with immediately.

Companies that don’t have their own public relations department, but that realize just how important the proper approach to and implementation of public relations can be, will often enlist the help of a third party public relations firm to take care of that end of the business for them.

This second option can work quite well for a company that doesn’t want to keep several full time employees on staff (having to take care of employee salaries, vacation and health benefits), when they can temporarily employee a service to do the job for them. Many reputable and successful public relations firms can bring quite a cost for the service that they provide, but often the results that are yielded from a good public relations campaign can certainly outweigh the cost of enlisting a firm to provide the work.

A third option is for a company to employ regular employees to handle the basic issues of a public relations department – to generate the thoughts and ideas behind the advertisements and new product pushes, but then hire freelance professional to take care of the artistic side of things (the graphics, design and writing).

Regardless of whether a company employs their own full time public relations department, enlists a third party to do the work or uses a combination of in house people and freelancers to get the job done – public relations is an enormous part of whether or not a company will succeed. Good public relations is the recipe for success while poorly thought out, improperly enacted or missing public relations can be an almost lethal detriment.

Many of our business-to-business clients participate in their industry’s relevant trade shows and conferences. For most, these events are key opportunities to interact with prospects and clients to tell them about their latest products, programs and services. The trade show is most commonly viewed as a function of the sales department – salespeople attend the shows, work the booth, gather business cards, give their sales spiel ad infinitum and complain about their aching feet.

There is no denying that trade shows and conferences are very important in a company’s overall marketing strategy. A lot of money is spent on exhibit booths, literature, travel & entertainment and the overall logistics of participating in these events. So, why not make the most of them by adding a key component that can be the difference between a “good show” and a less-than-productive three days? Enter public relations.

Publicity is Only Part of PR

First, let’s level-set what we’re talking about when we say public relations. In its most literal interpretation, PR is “relating to your various publics” – including media, suppliers, customers and prospective customers. It’s not just getting a press release hit. It’s delivering your key messages in a way that is relevant to the receiver. For example the media want to provide “industry news” to their readers, while customers and prospects want to understand how your product is going to make their business better, etc.

Make sure you have your key messages developed and everyone representing your company at the show is well-versed and on-board with these messages. Then, identify ways to deliver these messages to the various audiences (publics). The messages you develop for media will be slightly different than those for customers, which will be different than the prospect messages, which will be different than the supplier/vendor messages, etc. Prospects may need to receive the messages via demonstration (live or via video), media will need a media kit with press releases, company background info, executive bios, etc. and customers will want personal contact via face-to-face meetings. The more you can customize your messages and delivery method to the audience, the better your message will be received.

Leverage the Event

Trades shows are major events for everyone involved. Attendees go with the goal of learning about the hot new products in their industry – they want to see and hear about the latest and greatest things that are going to make their life/job easier or more effective. As an exhibitor, this is your opportunity to fill that need and make a big deal about doing so. Trade shows are perfect venues for new product launches. In fact, this is the primary purpose of the automotive shows – to show off prototypes and new designs. A complete trade show strategy should include pre- and post-show activities as well as at-show planning. Use the event to contact key clients and prospects prior to the show and invite them to stop by your booth while at the show. Hold special VIP events at your booth after hours for product demonstrations and networking, and pre-arrange meetings with editors and writers from the key trade publications to stop by your booth to hear why your company is leading the way in your industry.

Most importantly, after the show follow up with everyone you made contact with, using specific information demonstrating your experience at the show with them was meaningful.

Develop Relationships, Increase Awareness, Gain Expert Status

We’ve all seen the exhibitors that show up, set up and sit at their booth waiting to give their sales pitch to anyone who happens to stop by long enough to listen. Trade shows are your opportunity to develop relationships, gain awareness of your products and services and position yourself as the expert in your industry. Make tradshows more than just a big line item in your budget because you “have to go because everyone else does.” Make them relationship builders and revenue generators. When planned and optimized, that’s exactly what they will become.

Anyone who is familiar with the world of celebrities have heard of public relations firms aka PR companies, but just what does such a company provide?

Well, to answer that, one has to understand the term “public relations”. As one would suspect, the term implies a reciprocal relationship between two or more parties. Often, one of the parties engaged is the “public”. Via a second party, information is exchanged to said public. This information is processed and provided in a manner that expresses a certain sentiment in a succinct and understandable way. It is also presented in outlets that will obtain a vast amount of exposure for the individual or individuals seeking the services of a PR company.

In many occasions, the media is one of those outlets and is more commonly used to aid politicians, athletes, actors and musicians. However, it would be a mistaken belief that public relations is only utilized by stars and celebrities, in fact, this all important tool of communication can help various types of relation aspects such as:

Employee/Labor relations

A PR firm can become an extremely invaluable asset when it comes to the often tricky and volatile relationships between employers and their workers. Many people think that PR company services are only called into play when talks break down between union officials and businesses. It would surprise many to learn that a public relations firm can be employed to help employees understand their rights and what is required of them within a given company structure. Often time’s, business will hire a PR company when they have to address a body of people and give new instructions. Speeches, lectures and business conventions may lay claim to public relations involvement as well.

Media relations

with media relations, a PR company can act as a consultant to coach an individual on how to handle themselves when they are in the public eye. Although stars do often use this service, normal individuals, such as a suspect in a murder trial or someone who is looking for a lost family member can use a public relations firm to appeal to the citizenship. Although many companies will stoop to low ball tactics, a reputable PR firm abides by a certain code of ethics and tries to ensure that the information being put into the public arena is factual.

Investor relations

Investor relations are set up by a public relations firm to foster dialogue between a particular company and it’s shareholders. Unlike media relations or labor relations, the target audience is very specific and often times extremely educated on the topic at hand. In an effort to give those seeking information a glimpse into a companies stock offerings, investor meetings and conventions scheduled. In this way, analysts, shareholders, stockbrokers and the like can gather to learn more about investment prospects. For businesses seeking to reap new investment a capital, the use of a PR company is a very smart move.

Say no-to spin doctors

If you have done something wrong, it may be best to fess up eloquently than try to wag-the-dog. An ethical firm will not tell you to lie to the public. They may of course consult with you regarding the type of information you wish to make known, but today’s politically savvy populace can usually see through spin.

The right PR Company will try to combine tactics that will get attention or enable you to get your point across. They will also attempt to keep you from coming under fire for obvious ploys or publicity stunts by making smart assessments of the climate you will entering into. For these reasons, any person who wishes to grab the national spotlight, or foster better communication with employees or investors, need to l investigate the powerful tools that a Public relations firm can provide.

A company’s success can hinge on the relationship they have with the public and how they are perceived in the media. Some companies choose to try and handle all of these matters from the inside with their own PR department but others feel the need to enlist an outside service to ensure that all matters of public view and perception are handled by highly trained professionals.

A good public relations firm can take your businesses success to levels you never even imagined, but the question on many CEO’s minds remains, “Will the results obtained from enlisting an outside PR firm offset the cost we have to pay for the services?”

What can a PR firm do for You?

Establish Relationships

The key to success in any business is developing and maintaining solid relationships, not just with your clients, but with investors, vendors and employees. Most of the time an in house PR department can easily grow and maintain the relationships with customers and vendors, but it gets much more difficult for an inside department to handle relationships with vendors and especially other employees.

An outside firm can readily handle all of these relationships impartially, with only the company’s best interests in mind. This almost makes the company’s investment in an outside firm worth it without even considering all of the other positives they can offer – happy employees and investors make a much more productive work place and in turn can really drive the profits and, therefore, the success of the business.

Save you Money

It may not look like it at the outset, because the initial investment of enlisting a public relations firm can be reasonably high, but hiring an outside firm to handle all of your public relations can save your corporation a good deal of money in the long run.

Without a PR firm to do at least some of the work involved in overall company public relations, your corporation would need (depending on the size of the company) at the very least one, most likely several, full time employees. The hourly wage paid to these full time employees may seem like peanuts when compared to the dollars that would be paid out to a public relations firm, but when you factor in the benefits, paid holidays, paid vacations and overall annual salaries of these employees your corporation could end up saving thousands and thousands of dollars a year by hiring an outside public relations firm.

You can use the services of a public relations firm when you need them, and forego the services when you don’t. It’s not as if a member of the firm will be in your office collecting a paycheck – you pay for the services that you use and nothing more.

Diversity

A good public relations firm can often offer you much more than what used to be considered the basics of good PR. Many public relations firms today can offer everything your PR department and your marketing and advertising departments can do and more.

By enlisting the services of a good, reputable public relations firm you can effectively turn your own office into a lean and mean machine. You won’t have to cross train employees to take on roles that they are not comfortable or experienced with – your sales force won’t have to be concerned with any phase of marketing or advertisement. Your valuable sales staff can get focused on what they were trained to do – sell, while a PR firm takes care of developing the relationships and public perceptions.

Emergency Services

A public relations firm can bail you out of trouble in the event of a PR emergency. PR firm representatives are trained to handle all types of scandals or problems that crop up and can affect your corporation’s image in the public eye. Press releases can be quickly written and submitted and press conferences can be put together in short order to ensure that your company keeps its positive reputation with all of your current and potential clients, investors and employees.

Whether you decide to enlist an outside public relations firm to handle any or all of your company’s PR or marketing, solid relationships are the cornerstone of your company’s success. If you don’t have a rock solid PR department, than hiring a public relations firm could be the best decision for your company’s future.

Law firms that lack a sound public relations strategy are missing valuable opportunities to represent clients who are enmeshed in the most important and impactful legal issues of the day. To secure such clients effectively, smart law firms know how to engage and leverage the media effectively.

The most effective public relations strategies for law firms are founded upon a keen understanding of the issues. They entail the effective positioning of the law firm as a credible resource offering valuable insights into the issues and problems their clients face.

Here are 5 tips for conducting effective and efficient public relations for law firms:

Tip #1: Know your audience:

It is essential that law firms identify the key spheres of referrals, relationships and prospective clients in their field of specialty. Each time the firm initiates a media outreach campaign, it should be sculpted to speak directly to one of a set of clearly-defined target client segments. The most commanding strategies are those that seek to inform audiences while highlighting key issues that personally and directly affect those target clients.

Tip #2: Intersect your firm’s expertise with real pain points:

Showcasing your firm’s true talents and specialties entails first understanding the real pain points of your target client segment. Fostering a relationship with clients that is conducive to trust and loyalty increases the likelihood that they will approach you in a reliable, confident manner. If you are unclear as to which issues to specifically address with your target client group, ask yourself: what is an issue or cluster of related issues that are important to lives of my target client segment? How might the resolution of these issues increase their upside (e.g., income, happiness, peace of mind) or decrease their downside (e.g., expenses, stress, health problems, etc.)?

Tip #3: Understand current trends:

Trend commentary is a frequently-employed method for generating visibility and increasing exposure for your firm. To generate trend commentary, PR practitioners collaborate with executives to identify key thought leadership platforms that traverse both current business trends and the law firm principals’ own expertise. The platforms are then shaped to cater to the target segment and then pitched to the media.

Tip #4: Represent yourself to the media as a resource offering substantial, well-articulated insight:

The final secret to success in media placements is approaching a topic with an insightful, well-articulated perspective. It is important to reach out to the right reporter(s) with relevant information. The main goal here is maximum reach and clarity, which can only be possible with effective and lucid channels of communication. The law firm’s presentation must be eloquent, refined and precise. This is crucial in terms of the portrayal of the firm’s image vis-à-vis the media.

Tip #5: Author expert articles:

Another facet of a thought-leadership campaign is the authoring of in-depth, by-lined, expert articles. These articles, often written in partnership with public relations professionals, have the power to go into specific details that highlight trends, problems and solutions. Expert articles can be developed for specific industry trade segments or for general business magazines. In some cases, they are developed to articulate detailed trends to other expert audiences. Articles and other literature often receive coverage in local publications such as newspapers, journals and newsletters, which in turn can create a potential gateway to national and possibly international exposure.

When launching a PR campaign for your law firm, the end game involves knowing your audience, identifying their pain points, and effectively positioning your firm as a thought leader who holds a substantive, insightful position on the issue or topic.