The Importance of PR and Marketing for Small Businesses

The Importance of PR and Marketing for Small Businesses

Liana DeMasi | Contributing Writer

Starting a business is an unbelievable feat. You start with a dream and a mission, which then turns into a business plan, product samples, or service ideas, and extends all the way to a digital or physical storefront. From the outset, you’re bound to have the support of your inner circle, and maybe even some connections outside of it, but for true expansion and visibility, you need a PR and marketing strategy. Without one, you’re missing out on a lot.

“Without marketing, you’re missing opportunities because you’re not in front of people. You’re not in the right places,” says Jackie Zuk, Founder of NEXTonSCENE Media, a 360-public relations company. “You’re also missing out on a chance to grow.” Without proper advertisement and outreach, your sales from your initial customer base is at risk of stagnation. Your current clientele will want updates about new products and services, and any changes to your business model or mission.

These marketing plans will also recruit new customers, widening the scope of your sale’s base. Without targeted outreach, people won’t know your business exists. Word of mouth is an excellent marketing tool, but with the advent of technology, a global pandemic, and the rise of social media, it doesn’t normally serve as the sole route for exposure. (Unless you run, say, a speakeasy).

While social media and having an online presence can seem daunting, it’s actually one of the best ways to set your business apart. We live in a highly digital and engaged world, one that’s bogged down and overwhelmed by an excess of content. Making your social media or website a different kind of destination helps your business rise above the homogenous material out there. But it doesn’t have to be a whole production. In fact, between 80 and 90% of online customers value authenticity and transparency from the business accounts they follow. “If it doesn’t feel organic, don’t do it,” Zuk continues. “And don’t post every day. It’s about engagement, not how much you post. If you’re posting for the sake of posting, people are going to know.”

As a PR/marketing pro and a small business owner herself, Zuk emphasizes the importance of promoting your company and yourself.

Jackie Zuk

One perk of being a small business owner is that you’re not plagued by the encompassing and often disingenuous nature of corporate life. Within that, you’re able to engage with your clientele in a uniquely personal way. Letting your customers know what your business represents and stands for can help amplify engagement and connectivity amongst everyone involved, encouraging community-based discourse while increasing sales.

There are so many routes one can take to market for their small business. Word of mouth, social media engagement, SEO-blog posts, events, getting in the press, influencer marketing -- the list goes on. In theory, it might sound feasible to handle on your own, and for some steps, that might be true. But certain outreach tools might have you feeling burnt out and overwhelmed. “You need to test run things on your own before you know what you’re an expert in,” Zuk says. “As a start up, you don’t have money to spend on marketing. Go on Youtube and learn there. Do whatever is cost effective. Whatever you enjoy, continue to do. But whatever feels like a burden, outsource it. You need these strategies, but if it feels like a burden, it’s never going to get done.”

Try to look at marketing as a healthy and valid means of bragging. You believe in your business. It’s why you started it to begin with. Putting yourself out there via press interviews or releases, hosting virtual or inperson events and having social media giveaways, are all viable marketing tools. Zuk says, “It’s always the places you least expect that are the biggest networking opportunities.”

So make a Twitter account. Make some TikTok content. Write SEOblogs. Foster press connections. There are people in the world who are seeking a business, service, or product just like yours. Let them know you’re out there.