However, finding the person to represent your brand isn’t easy. You will have to prepare for a thorough vetting process that takes into account a person’s communication skills, personality, emotional intelligence, and storytelling ability.

Your Organization’s Spokesperson Needs Strong Communication Skills

For starters, your organization’s spokesperson must be able to speak clearly, concisely, and confidently. They must be able to demonstrate this ability when delivering prepared announcements and answering questions on the fly. Whether using their own words or prepared statements written by someone else, your spokesperson should be able to speak on behalf of your company or organization eloquently and persuasively.

This spokesperson should also feel comfortable addressing people one-on-one, as well as in large crowds, and must be comfortable speaking on a variety of topics. Additionally, be sure to select a spokesperson with experience speaking on camera and managing replies to comments from both your customer base and the general public on social media.

Remember that the spokesperson your organization selects will need to communicate articulately with the press, so they should also have experience with regularly reaching out to journalists and news outlets both in person and online. Any background that gives them expertise in handling the media is a huge bonus.

When Vetting an Ideal Spokesperson, Personality Matters

As you search for the person who will become the face of your organization, think about what kind of personality will best resonate with the demographics of the people you want to reach. A good spokesperson should connect with their audience in a relatable and genuine way.

Personality is a crucial consideration for your organization’s spokesperson because it determines how others — including stakeholders, clients, and the public — will respond to them. An engaging personality influences their ability as an effective communicator and empowers them to interact effectively with the people around them.

The ideal candidate should have an authentic and engaging personality that matches your brand’s values. Think about the personality that will convey your message best. For example, do you want a spokesperson with a sense of humor or a hard-hitting spokesperson who can field controversial topics?

Remember that the public will respond to your organization if they like and trust your spokesperson. Furthermore, the media will be more likely to cover your organization if it can feature a spokesperson who is relatable and engaging.

Your Spokesperson Must Possess High Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence, or EQ, is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions and those of others. It involves being able to empathize with others, control one’s emotions, read other people’s emotions, and use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior.

High emotional intelligence enables a spokesperson to read people, situations, and body language. This skill is vital for any spokesperson because it helps them understand what their audience needs and how best to communicate it.

A spokesperson with high emotional intelligence can relate meaningfully to others, will be better able to understand what makes their audience tick, and speak directly to its needs with a message that resonates on an emotional level. Essentially, a spokesperson with high EQ becomes more relatable and personable.

Your Spokesperson Needs the Ability to Empathize

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, which allows a spokesperson to see their message from the perspective of someone in the audience and to anticipate how it will be received. Empathy is a crucial skill for any spokesperson because it enables them to connect and make their message relevant.

When choosing a spokesperson for your organization, look for someone who has demonstrated empathy in past roles or life experiences. For example, if your organization is focused on helping people who are struggling with addiction or mental illness to find support services in their area, you will want a spokesperson who understands what it is like to live with these challenges.

Your Organization’s Spokesperson Should be a Compelling Storyteller

Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways your organization can communicate its message with donors, supporters, and other key stakeholders. Stories also help your customers and clients understand your organization’s mission and values. A good narrative can also illustrate the problem you are solving and the solution you provide.

When told well, stories build relationships between the narrator and the listener. By sharing your organization’s story, your spokesperson can draw people in, get them to listen, and make them feel like they belong in your community.

In summary, the right spokesperson can be a powerful tool for your organization, but finding that person is not easy. Your selection requires careful consideration of communication skills, personality, and emotional intelligence. The more prepared you are to take your time and truly evaluate each candidate, the better off you’ll be when making your selection.

The post How to Find the Right Spokesperson for Your Organization appeared first on SiteProNews.

Public relations (PR) is the difference between being overlooked and reaching new heights of success. PR isn’t just for large corporations with deep pockets — it’s a game-changer for businesses of all sizes that drives sales, boosts marketing efforts, supports their growth, and unlocks new avenues for business development.

PR as Business Support

PR plays a pivotal role in providing support, offering a range of benefits that extend beyond traditional marketing and advertising efforts. For a small business, every decision counts, and resources are often limited. Having a robust support system is crucial for sustained growth and success. 

When starting out, your initial ambitions as a small business owner often stays within your local boundaries. PR can help you expand regionally, nationally, or even globally, acting as your guiding compass. By strategically positioning your brand in front of a targeted audience with specific outlets, you can generate positive media coverage and foster relationships with key stakeholders. 

PR helps you build a reputable and credible foundation by enabling your small business to shape and control its brand narrative, allowing you to convey your unique value proposition and differentiate yourself from competitors. For example, a travel blogger who wants to both share her travel stories and offer insight on how to become a travel blogger offers a unique service that she’s been building from years of experience. Through targeted media outreach, thought leadership initiatives, and community engagement, PR can establish trust, credibility, and a positive brand image, leading to increased customer loyalty and support. 

Every successful business relies on strong relationships with everyone from employees to customers to media representatives. PR acts as a bridge, connecting your business with these key stakeholders and facilitating meaningful interactions. By crafting compelling stories, PR relationships can help small businesses achieve their goals, whether local or global.  

PR is a Swiss Army knife

PR is a multifaceted toolkit that empowers small businesses to craft compelling narratives, shape public perception, and secure a competitive edge in their respective industries. Whether you’re a tech start-up, a scientist who discovered the cure for seasonal allergies, or a small travel blogger, PR can be tailored to suit your unique goals and beyond. 

PR as a Sales Tool

By strategically leveraging PR tactics, small businesses can create buzz around their products or services, captivate their target audience, and ultimately convert leads into loyal customers. PR can help cut through the noise and establish a strong presence in the market. Through media coverage, press releases, and engaging storytelling, PR efforts can generate brand awareness and recognition. 

Placing your company name in reputable outlets — versus only using advertisements — helps increase brand loyalty. Seventy percent of consumers prefer to learn about a company through research, rather than just viewing an advertisement. Strategically placing your brand in front of your target audience allows you to increase the chances of staying top-of-the-mind when customers are ready to make a purchase. 

PR as a Marketing Tool

PR strategies and marketing tactics go hand-in-hand when increasing brand visibility and engaging target audiences. Marketing focuses on selling, whereas PR focuses on building relationships. Merging the two helps create compelling ads that don’t feel like ads. 

PR opens the doors to extensive media channels — both traditional and digital — providing opportunities to engage with your target audience. Through press releases, media pitches, and media relations, small businesses can secure coverage in newspapers, magazines, online publications, and influential blogs. 

For example, a small mom-run business that helps children with communication can be featured in reputable local and national mom blogs, as well as local newspapers, to garner interest and credibility. Pairing that with the company’s social media offers a powerful avenue to engage directly with its audience, share updates, and participate in meaningful conversations. 

PR as a Business Development Tool

In the ever-evolving business landscape, small businesses must constantly seek new opportunities for growth and development. PR helps set small businesses in front of strategic partnerships that complement and benefit each other. 

By leveraging PR tactics, such as joint press releases, co-marketing initiatives, or collaborative events, businesses can expand their reach and tap into new customer segments. For example, a new boutique hotel can partner with a tequila company and a pool float company for a special summer event. Normally, the two companies wouldn’t cross paths, but joining the hotel’s event allows them to expand their customer reach. 

PR can also help small businesses connect with influencers and industry thought leaders who can sway public opinion and impact customer behavior. PR efforts help establish and nurture these relationships, putting small businesses in front of new audiences and attracting potential investors as well. 

In a world where attention spans are short and competition is intense, small businesses cannot afford to overlook the power of PR. It is a transformative multi-tool that can propel them toward their growth aspirations, elevate their brand reputation, and unlock a wealth of opportunities. 

The key to success is integrating PR into the overall business strategy. Aligning PR efforts with sales, marketing, and business development allows small businesses to create a cohesive and impactful brand presence. 

Monitoring and measuring PR efforts enable continuous improvement and optimization for long-term success. Small businesses should embrace the potential of PR and watch their business reach unprecedented levels of success.

The post What Small Businesses Can Do to Help Their Public Relations appeared first on SiteProNews.

While PR is different from sales, marketing, and business development, the credibility it generates serves as an effective tool for building all three.

Leveraging PR as a Sales Tool

Remember that PR and sales are not the same — the purpose of a business’s sales team is to bring in orders. Sales professionals use a variety of methods to drum up business, such as advertising and direct marketing. Salespeople tend to focus on the short term.

While PR can boost sales, that’s not its primary purpose. The goal of PR is to create and maintain a positive image for a brand, which it achieves by building and taking care of relationships among stakeholders — not just with customers and investors, but also with the press and the public at large. PR professionals take the long view, establishing the brand’s good character and nurturing people’s trust in it.

Toward that end, PR professionals cultivate relationships with the media and find avenues to work your business into the news cycle. They do this not only by telling your story to reporters in compelling ways, but also by landing you opportunities to showcase your expertise in educational, non-promotional guest spots.

The reason PR tactics tend to be successful is that many people dislike advertisements and sales-y messages. According to one Forbes article, “96% of people don’t believe that ads are truthful, according to Inc. Magazine. Consumers do not trust advertising, and one can’t blame them. Gallup conducted a survey asking people just how they would rate the honesty and ethical standards of workers in 21 different professions. Nurses were rated tops, with 85%, while advertising practitioners were fourth from the bottom at 10% approval rating, slightly ahead of car salesmen, telemarketers and politicians.”

PR enables you to get your brand in front of potential customers in a positive way that is likely to appeal to them more, which can create increased demand for your product or service. One of my clients received so many sales leads after starting our PR campaign that he was forced to stop answering the phone. While that is not a good thing, it shows how powerful PR can be.

Leveraging PR as a Marketing Tool

The first way to leverage PR as a marketing tool is by posting your coverage on social media platforms that offer a cost-effective way to spread the word about your brand and expand your reach. When you share your media successes, your credibility and authority increase, but when you share more personal details about your business or yourself, your audience connects with you on a more human level.

Another way to leverage PR successes as marketing tools is to splash them all over your website and create an “In the News” page. Sending this news to your regular contacts through newsletters and email can also keep you in front of your customer base in a positive way.

In my experience, businesses who never promote their media wins fail to get the desired results and return on investment from doing PR. It’s quite simple: no one will read a story if someone does not direct them to that story.

Leveraging PR as a Business Development Tool

Other businesses and potential partners want to do business with credible companies that have an established reputation and brand. They are less likely to form strategic partnerships with new ventures that have failed to garner media attention.

When reporters cover you, your team, or your business, it demonstrates that you are doing important, timely, and relevant work. It also shows that you are competitive in the marketplace.

That’s why doing PR can be leveraged as a business-development tool. Nothing makes you and your team look better to prospective partners than a solid track record of positive media coverage. No advertising campaign can lend you the same degree of prestige for the simple reason that everyone knows you paid for those messages yourself.

Get Started Doing PR

PR is necessary for growth, but small businesses that fail to invest in it can miss opportunities for positive media exposure and struggle to get to the next level. Neglecting PR can also make companies vulnerable to negative reviews and media coverage, which can damage their reputations. Don’t make this mistake.

The good news is that getting started is easier than many fear. A simple Google search can turn up the names of agencies that specialize in your industry, and initial consultations are typically offered for free. There’s no reason not to reach out and explore your options, since this first session is only to learn — not a commitment.

The post Why PR is Essential for Small Businesses appeared first on SiteProNews.