There’s a common perception these days that challenger brands, and new businesses in general, can do their own marketing right out of the box. After all, the tools available to startups seem to be geared towards DIY types. You can make your own Facebook and Instagram, write some blog posts, and before you know it you’ll have a loyal following… right?
Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite work that way. You can produce the best content on the entire Internet, and it won’t mean a thing if people don’t know it’s out there. Just the same, you can have the best product in your industry, but until you can get eyeballs on that product, you may as well not be in business at all.
That’s where PR comes in. Public relations might seem a bit old-fashioned in the digital age, especially to challenger brands. The truth is, marketing is all about influencing people. What better way to do that than to encourage highly influential people to advocate on your behalf?
As a challenger brand, the truth is that you need all the help you can get. Social media only works if there’s an audience, and the same is true for any type of marketing. You can’t simply buy trust, and you can’t pay for connections. Public relations can help you to acquire both.
PR, it turns out, isn’t just about issuing press releases. A good public relations firm can introduce you to the right people, setting you down the right path towards partnerships that will help you to increase your profile and truly challenge the bigger brands in your industry. This type of guidance is especially important in the digital age, where you can’t necessarily walk down to a potential partner’s office to introduce yourself in person. Having a powerful connection allows you to break through the digital clutter and develop the right relationships, in the right way.
The end result? You’ll get your name out there, but you’ll also get to work with people that have seen businesses like yours come their way. You’ll get a master class education in what works and what doesn’t, and you’ll be able to take the lessons learned from dozens of other businesses and apply directly to your strategies. It’s a much better deal than simply setting up social media accounts and hoping that people notice you.
PR can succeed where conventional marketing cannot, and the benefits of public relations are invaluable to a challenger brand. To learn more about how PR can help your business, contact us today.
