Is PR worth the investment for the SME owner?

Let's take the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) market for example. Often SME organisations require these 'strategic' communication campaigns, however little or no contemplation is given to the budget, resource and time constraints associated with the SME business.

While it is obvious that companies are operating in an ever-increasing competitive environment, and the need to develop and communicate 'unique touch points' of positioning to their customers, partners and staff is essential, the overriding principle that the SME needs to ask itself is: Are we undertaking a PR campaign for the right reasons? With this in mind, I wanted to share some of my thoughts on what, the SME owner in particular, should be examining prior to commencing a PR implementation of any kind.

Too often, organisations make the mistake of trying to gain share of voice, without actually having anything to say. Therefore, prior to choosing a PR agency, I would urge the SME business owner to understand why they actually require the support. Answering the following three simple questions, could provide the SME with a clearer focus:
1. What do you hope to achieve out of a proactive PR and marketing strategy?
2. How will you know you have undertaken a solid PR and marketing campaign?
3. Is this decision driven out of a business need or a 'nice' to have?

For most SME organisations, creating a sustainable business model is of more importance than driving awareness. Remembering that any activity that takes an owner away from the two main thrusts of business – namely: to get and keep customers and to be profitable – is redundant for the business. Therefore, if a SME's need for PR aligns with this, then they are already on the right track in terms of correct thought-process.

Too often, PR professionals get approached by businesses who have yet to understand why they need PR support. This can make the process that much more difficult and onerous and often results in the 'burnt finger' syndrome, whereby the company does not see the value that PR can deliver and hence undervalues its impact.

For too long, people have felt that a good PR strategy includes events, lunches and the occasional advertorial – which is ludicrous. The right PR and marketing strategy should become one of the key pillars of a sustainable business, as not only does it help with communicating an organisation's business thrusts, but undertaken correctly, can position a company on a solid development platform. The bottom line is that the PR approach for any company needs discipline, dedication, creativity, balance and enthusiasm from both the agency and the client, to work correctly.

Following on from this, the next question a SME organisation needs to examine is do they have the time and capacity to work with a PR and marketing agency correctly? Many organisations believe that by outsourcing their PR requirement, they do not need to take any responsibility for the management of this process – wrong! Like any good business strategy, PR cannot be driven by a few individuals, but needs to have the support of the entire company to ensure real success is achieved.

Lastly, costs are at the forefront of any SME business owner's mind and as such, any expense needs to be justified. Many companies believe that one press release and a media interview here or there will be enough to sustain a successful PR campaign and while this is a cost effective approach, it will only result in limited exposure and often inadequate target market reach – leaving the SME with little justification! PR should not be undertaken in isolation, it needs to be supported by all facets of marketing to ensure the market views a holistic approach to the business. That said, a SME does not need to pay an exorbitant PR fee for this value to be achieved, but does need to understand that some investment is needed for solid results.

With all this said, the benefit of not being a large corporate, often in the spotlight, is that a SME can undertake simple PR initiatives that will go a long way to develop a solid status within the business circles they operate. These basic PR principles are simple – depending on the line of business – keeping customers happy, always delivering what is promised and maintaining high standards of work ethic and delivery! This approach, seemingly obvious, is very rarely undertaken and if adhered too, will be the start of a solid PR strategy for any SME organisation!