As a small business owner, you may hope to be good at all aspects of your business. Even as you read this, you know you can’t be, but the idea of giving up control of any part of your business makes many of us feel dreadfully uncomfortable. One of the areas where business owners typically need help is with publicity. Regardless of how confident they are in their product or service, they don’t like to promote themselves, or they don’t know how. This is why it can be so beneficial to work with a public relations professional.

Those of us in PR love our business as much as you love yours, and our business only thrives if we succeed in continually enhancing your reputation. This is the synergistic effect that occurs with the right public relations consultancy.

What is Public Relations?

Public relations deals with relationship management–making sure you have a good reputation in your industry and among key stakeholders–including the media. It involves internal and external audiences, and it focuses on unpaid sources to enhance your credibility. For example, when you buy something at Amazon, do you trust the promotional text written by the company or the customer ratings? Most of us want to know what consumers like us think. A PR professional’s job is to influence people so they want to help you tell your story.

A reputable PR professional will walk you through a process that helps define your key audiences and messages, aligning them with your strategic goals. He or she will then work with you to review budget constraints and set realistic goals. The public relations consultant will write press releases, speeches, and blogs; develop speaking engagements and foster strategic alliances; and make pitches to the media and influential opinion leaders. Working behind the scenes, the PR professional helps you earn prominent coverage where it matters most.