Like most business owners or marketing professionals, you probably think public relations (PR) is only important for giant corporations. After all, why would you need PR if you’re not a household name?

The truth is that PR is just as crucial for small businesses and startups. PR can be even more critical for smaller companies because it can help level the playing field against larger competitors. Here are four reasons PR should be essential to your ongoing marketing campaign.

PR Helps You Build Credibility and Trust

Credibility and trust are two essential factors in any customer’s decision-making process. If people don’t trust your company, they’ll not do business with you—plain and simple. That’s where PR comes in.

PR can help build credibility and trust by featuring your company in credible media outlets. These could be online publications, newspapers, magazines, TV shows, or radio programs. When potential customers see that your company has been featured in these credible media outlets, they’ll be more likely to trust you and do business with you.

PR Can Help You Generate Leads and Sales

In addition to helping build credibility and trust, PR can directly generate leads and sales for your business. How? By getting your company featured in the media, you’re increasing your visibility and reach—which means more people will learn about your products or services. And when more people know about your products or services, that means more sales. It’s that simple.

PR Is Inexpensive (Especially Compared to Other Forms of Marketing)

One of the best things about PR is that it’s relatively inexpensive—especially compared to other forms of marketing like paid advertising or trade shows. With PR, you don’t have to spend any money to get featured in the media; you only need a great story and a little hustle.

Of course, some costs are associated with hiring a PR firm, but even those costs pale compared to other forms of marketing. So if you’re on a tight budget and want to get the word out about your business, PR should be one of your go-to strategies.

PR Helps You Build Lasting Relationships with Customers (and the Media)

Last but not least, PR helps you build lasting relationships—not just with customers but also with media members. These relationships are vital because they can keep you top-of-mind when someone needs your product or service and make it easier to get featured in the future.

As you can see, there are many good reasons to make PR a part of your ongoing marketing campaign. Now is the time to start if you’re not already incorporating PR into your strategy. It’s an inexpensive way to build credibility and trust, generate leads and sales, and create lasting relationships—all of which can help take your business to the next level!