Public relations is fundamental in today’s business world for companies and brands seeking strategic communication.
Good PR promotes brand awareness and garners media attention. It also aids in the development of trust between businesses and society.
Public relations enables businesses to maintain positive relationships with stakeholders, their target audience, and the public. It also helps companies manage unfavorable views and safeguard their societal image. Because of this, it’s a crucial tool for any organization to help navigate the modern working world.
7 Different Types Of Public Relations
Depending on what information your business would like to convey, there are several different types of public relations to choose from. Let’s look at seven of the most common types of Public Relations.
Media Relations
A key component of PR is media relations. This involves establishing and preserving connections with media professionals. For example, journalists, editors, and broadcasters.
To ensure your business receives the media coverage it wants, you need to find an enticing perspective for your story. You want to make it interesting so that a reporter will want to pursue it.
A smart PR planner will be skilled at crafting exceptional press releases, securing interviews with well-known presenters at opportune times, and planning press conferences.
The aim of media relations is to get favorable press for your business or brand. It also helps get the word out about what you’re trying to advertise to the broader public.
In essence, you want to use the media to promote your company, product, or breaking news at no financial cost.
The media is an effective tool to gain exposure and reach a big audience. So, it’s crucial to establish and keep up positive ties with the press.
Strategic Communications
Strategic communications aim to develop, control, and disseminate information to accomplish defined objectives.
This type of PR is employed to advance a cause, a service, or a product.
What differentiates strategic communications from more general public relations is that it goes beyond the conventional techniques of media relations, events, and crisis communications.
Strategic communications are effective in swaying public opinion and forging bonds with important audiences and key industry players.
Community PR
In community PR, the goal is to improve interactions between your company and the immediate public you serve.
Through community outreach and engagement initiatives, community public relations aims to increase understanding and confidence in your organization.
Organizational transparency and sensitivity to community demands are more crucial than ever before. Through community connections, businesses can forge close bonds with their customers. At the same time, they contribute to the creation of a better-functioning world.
Crisis Communications
In times of disaster, crisis communications defend and safeguard a person, brand, or organization.
Any situation that could endanger the reputation of a person or company is considered a crisis.
Through effective crisis communications, organizations are able to manage the narrative surrounding a crisis. The goal is to communicate reliable and up-to-date information to the public to show what actions are being taken to remedy the crisis.
Situations that may require crisis communications include:
- Catastrophic events
- Cyber attacks
- Company controversies
- Defective products
- Any other incident that has the potential to harm a reputation
Internal PR
Communication within a company is the main emphasis of internal public relations.
Internal PR is necessary to ensure that each individual within an organization is clued into the company messaging. It keeps everyone up to date on internal affairs or new product launches, not yet known to the public.
Internal public relations can also help ensure a cohesive front when there is an external crisis being publicized. Internal PR communication must be clear and succinct for every stakeholder to understand the situation and the effects thereof.
Public Affairs
Public affairs are the planned handling of a company’s relationships with persons in positions of influence who can affect consumer opinion or government policy. It can refer to community relations, media relations, or even government lobbying.
This type of PR is crucial for large industries whose work affects the public. It assists an organization in gaining influence with the government or other important large public structures to advance a particular industry’s power.
Public affairs enable businesses to not only control and shape how they are perceived but also increase support for their policy goals.
Social Media PR
Social media PR is great for promoting new products and company news around the globe within minutes of posting.
Businesses can increase their brand recognition, legitimacy, and customer engagement by interacting with their target audience on social media.
Social media platforms are useful tools for PR professionals to:
- Sway public opinion
- Interact with influencers
- Communicate with journalists
- Comment on breaking news stories
- Connect with customers directly
Conclusion
A company’s or brand’s reputation can be successfully enhanced by good use of PR. Effective public relations increase a company’s visibility and enhance its reputation. It also fosters trust and understanding between a company and the general public.
