Nearly every week in the news there seems to be another story of a business or person besieged by a ‘PR crisis.’ Whether it’s Qantas announcing mass redundancies the same week they announce executive pay rises or the current controversy surrounding the prank phone call by 2Day FM.
Crisis communications after the fact is similar to putting a bandage over a scraped knee – while it is a necessary part of fixing the situation; the damage has already been done.
It’s important to start implementing a PR strategy now to build your business’ profile and reputation before a crisis hits.
By building a good reputation and gaining your customers trust you can minimise the damage to your business during a crisis. A good reputation can also lead to increased brand awareness, more customers and more business opportunities.
Here are some ways you can build your business’ profile and reputation.
- Use your industry expertise
You can use a PR strategy to help position yourself or your business as an expert in your industry. If you have an in-depth knowledge of a particular field then you can take advantage of this by offering expert comment and opinion to specific journalists. You can do this by writing an informative article and sending it to an appropriate journalist or suggesting yourself for an interview on a particular issue. Journalists are always looking for someone with expertise in a particular area to add credibility to their story and PR can help get you in front of them at the right time. The more times you are seen in the media sharing your expertise on a particular topic the more people will start to see you as an expert. - Get media training
Taking a phone interview or answering a few questions in front of a camera might seem incredibly daunting but with some professional media training you’ll be better prepared to handle tough questions. This is both true in times of crisis and in normal dealings with the media.
Even if you feel confident speaking to the media, a trained professional can help you organise your responses and key messages to make the most of the interview. - Build your profile on social media
Many of your clients or customers will already be communicating with your business on social media, which makes it a great place to start building your profile. For example, you could start a YouTube channel and offer expert tips. It’s also a good idea to share interesting links, tips and advice relating to your area of expertise on your social media profiles. By becoming a valuable source of information on a particular topic people may start to see you as an expert.
Building your reputation is important, not just to prevent reputational damage during a crisis, but to build your customers’ trust. When your customers trust you the business has a better chance of growing and increasing its brand loyalty.
Why did your business start using PR?
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.
