What is PR? | Scriba PR

We’ve all seen how public relations (PR) is portrayed in the media, with savvy reputation management professionals helping their clients to swerve getting cancelled, or House Of Cards-esque politicians using spin doctors to direct the narrative for their own evil ends.

But what is PR in the real world? The day-to-day activities of your average press officer or agency executive look very different. However, the common thread of understanding client stories, and unpicking them to find something that will resonate with the target audience, is still largely the same.

To understand how it works, you first need a fundamental grasp of what PR consists of, and what it really means.

What does PR mean?

Common misconceptions centre on PR being all about press releases and interviews in the media, and while that is a part of the activity as a whole, it’s so much more. PR is all about managing your external brand with your key stakeholders, such as clients, customers, peers, the industry, and the public at large.

And there are a myriad ways to do this, with ample opportunity to manage your corporate image. Every customer touchpoint has the potential to sway opinion, and to encourage positive sentiment about your business.

Is it really needed?

PR is an extremely valuable tool, and another feather in the cap for your overall marketing and communications strategy. Helping you to meet your overall goals and objectives — from brand awareness, to increasing sales, to crisis management — this channel is pivotal in fostering growth and boosting the bottom line.

If it’s done right, PR can ensure you don’t just have a large share of voice in your specific vertical, but you also become a true influencer in your sphere, becoming the go-to expert on the challenges your industry is facing, blowing your competition out of the water.

How do I create a successful PR campaign?

Understanding your story, discovering why it needs to be shared, and who exactly needs to hear it is integral to the process. Relating your core messages in an understandable way to your target audience through a range of media will undoubtedly create a high level of ROI.

And as we approach 2024, there are more channels available than ever. Traditional PR, in the sense of story building, brand reputation, and creating influence, is still extremely powerful, but you might also be wondering what digital PR is, and may have heard the term used in recent years.

A method of link building — where you work towards getting websites with high ranking domain authority to link back to your own site, for SEO purposes — digital PR works through the creation of a valuable piece of content that can be shared in the media and attributed back to you, such as research-led content, interactive infographics, reports, and other PR stunts.

No matter the method you employ, what makes a good PR campaign is keeping the original goal and objective at the forefront of all activity, and then implementing the best channels and tools to ensure it’s achieved – just like in any marketing campaign.

Why taking a holistic approach important

While the media is a crucial channel, and will be the focus of many PR campaigns, it doesn’t stop there. It’s important to take your story to every customer touchpoint, as well — from social media, to email campaigns, to website content and more — to marry up your messaging and create a seamless customer experience.

Where a potential client might see your brand name in the news in the morning, receive a targeted email with the same campaign messaging in the evening, and then view complementary content on social media, you’ve succeeded in creating an impactful journey that’s likely to convert.

Whether you’re working with internal marketing teams or external agencies, plugging PR into your current strategy is remarkably easy because it will already align with existing activity, powering-up your presence and taking your brand to a wider audience — creating positive interactions.

PR is a vital tool in any communications strategy – it’s integral to fostering positive brand reputation and facilitating a large share of voice in your market. Interested in exploring how your business could benefit from PR? If you’re an existing client, reach out to your account manager, who’ll be happy to kick start the conversation. Alternatively, drop us a line and we’ll get back to you to explore all avenues of opportunity.