The Importance of Public Relations for Small Businesses

Some entrepreneurs mistakenly think that PR only relates to large companies and corporations, when in fact, the small business needs to maintain a positive image within the local community. PR is scalable; whether a multinational corporation or a small computer repair shop, customer relations are a critical aspect of the business that you can’t afford to ignore.

Engage with the local community

There are several ways you can connect with the community:

• • Create a Facebook page and post daily about your business – If you don’t have time, enlist the services of a local digital marketing agency, which should generate a strong following. Social media has so much potential for small businesses, so make sure you develop Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

• Charitable social responsibility – If you use charity Christmas cards, you can choose from more than 80 charities to be included in your cards. People like businesses that care about the community and using an established online charity card supplier, you can tailor the cards to suit your business image.

• Monthly newsletters & other publications – A great way to engage the local community is to publish a newsletter every month; contents can include any interesting stories, the company’s involvement in community activities, special offers and any seasonal discounts. You can design an electronic newsletter in PDF format and send it to your customer base every month. 

• Live events – If your local community organise exhibitions and fairs, see if you can have a booth where you can showcase your products/services and develop branding. Sponsoring events is a great way to get your name and logo out there; keep your eye on local sports teams/athletes and choose one or two that you can support in exchange for adding your brand to their look. Click here for an informative article on the importance of entrepreneurship in modern commerce.

• Local media – Local radio and TV stations are another avenue to spread your message; contact stations and see if you can get their roving team to interview you at your place of work. There are ways that your sector is relevant to the community and try to cultivate a positive relationship with all local media. This avenue offers a lot in terms of exposure and you should achieve a level of success, which will lead to business.

• Celebrate local and national festivals – All small businesses should celebrate local and national festivals in an appropriate way, involving the community as much as possible. Xmas, New Year, Easter, St Valentine’s Day, Halloween are just some times of the year when you can do something special.

Reputations take years to earn yet can be lost in minutes! Do you have a disaster plan in place? If not, we recommend that you create one, as this will enable you to respond accordingly should the worst happen. While you don’t need Public Relations staff for a small business, the owner/manager needs to be creative when looking at ways to get the brand noticed.