What does it take to promote your company’s objectives?
In the era of self-promotion, many organizations believe that they need only lean on the expertise of a social media manager and blogger to promote their company’s objectives or newsworthy successes online. After all, it’s a cost-effective way for companies to stay current without having to pay the traditional marketing fees associated with advertising agencies and public relations firms. Although this strategy can work for a time, it has its limitations.
There will be a point when you will need to expand your visual footprint and use your marketing funds to pay for advertising and necessary PR measures. To be sure, a robust marketing plan includes all of these efforts, but there is no better way of promoting your company than through news-related media outlets. Whether you are interviewed on television via your local TV station, a podcast pertinent to your industry, an online digital platform, or print journalism, you are the face of your company and people want to hear your story. People still trust what they hear and what they read from traditional media outlets.
When you are the public face of your company, telling your story helps create the notion that you are an authority in your industry. According to Entrepreneur, “ Becoming a go-to person for industry leadership should incentivize potential clients to seek out your wealth of knowledge. The bottom line is that authority can lead to profitability.”
There is no doubt that your brand aesthetic is integral to who and what your organization emits to the public, so by all means, keep up those Instagram and Linkedin posts, but consumers and potential clients are more influenced by what they trust. According to the 2019 Edelman Brand Trust Survey, which compiled data from more than 25,000 respondents across eight major global markets including the United States, Brazil, China and Germany, “The report shows fewer people are trusting advertising, with 41 percent of consumers saying they don’t trust brands’ marketing communications to be accurate and truthful. Nearly three-fourths of consumers also reported that they try to avoid advertising altogether: 48 percent of those surveyed reported using ad-blocking technology and 47 percent changed their media habits to see fewer ads.”
With consumer trust at an all-time low, your company will need to rise above the competition by selling your story verbally. You are the key influencer on your brand. You have the power to engage and immerse your audience in your tale and to create loyalty and aspiration. Tell your potential consumers and clients your story with the power of words. Learning the art of storytelling and conveying important talking points during an interview remains one of the most powerful tools for brand marketing. We suggest that you use the expertise of a PR firm, like ours, for proper coaching and introductions to those media outlets, so you are ready to tell your story and engage with your audience. Are you ready for your close up?
