Are you looking for ways to get ahead of your competitors?
Perhaps you are frustrated that your competitors are regularly featured in the media and want to tackle them head on.
Public relations is a great tool for businesses to stand out from their competitors through telling their story, building their profile and reputation, and communicating with their target audience.
Here are some public relations tactics which you can use to give your business a competitive edge.
Monitor your competition
The first step to stay ahead of your competition is to understand who your competitors are, what they are offering and what type of media coverage they are achieving.
An effective method to keep up to date with your competition is to monitor their media and social media activities through Google Alerts or other media monitoring services.
Google Alerts are free notifications that are sent to you when Google finds new results matching your keyword search terms. Include your competitors in your Google Alert keywords to receive regular updates on their activities. (When you set up Google Alerts make sure you do them for yourself as well.)
There are also several paid media monitoring tools which will monitor all mentions across TV, radio, print and online including social media channels.
Write expert articles
Writing articles is an excellent way to establish yourself as an expert in your particular field and give you an edge against your competition.
Your articles must be relevant, engaging and valuable for your target audience. Articles can be pitched to media outlets, such as newspapers, magazines or blogs, and can result in media coverage for your business.
Provide commentary to the media
The media is always on the lookout for new story angles, expert opinions and advice. Providing commentary to the media is an excellent way to get your business’ name in the media, and demonstrate your own expertise and knowledge in your topic area. This could be as simple as offering a response to an article or pitching yourself to a publication for an interview.
Make the most of speaking opportunities
Speaking at a conference or event is an excellent way to position yourself as an expert with your target audience, build your profile and credibility, and generate brand awareness.
In today’s competitive business market, being positioned as an expert in your field can lead to new business opportunities and an increase in sales and new customers or clients.
Use case studies to your advantage
Case studies describe a project or client your business has worked with. Using case studies gives potential customers or clients an insight into how your business operates, and how they can benefit from what your business has to offer. People are more likely to choose a particular business over another when they can see previous results.
Engage on social media
Social media platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook offer a direct way to engage with current and potential customers. Begin by researching which social media channels your target audience use and create a profile on these channels.
It is important to encourage dialogue with your followers, which can be achieved by posting interesting content, sharing newsworthy stories about your industry, asking questions and responding to queries.
The power of public relations ultimately lies in its ability to set a business apart. Through establishing credibility, enhancing reputation and building brand awareness, public relations can help your business get ahead of your competitors.
Want more PR tips? Download this free ebook
Sydney Public Relations Agency, CP Communications provides specialist media, traditional and online PR strategies that get amazing results. Contact us today. For more great tips visit our website www.cpcommunications.com.au.
