Every consumer wants to feel like they are wanted. For advertising to work efficiently, marketers and PR professionals need to promote this sense of feeling. With more advertising being done digitally, that connection between businesses and consumers has vanished. The internet has changed the way that public relations agencies publish news and information leading to less interaction with consumers. Going forward PR professionals need to retrace their steps and continue to build relationships as this is what the industry thrives on.

Consumers

With technological advancements we are now able to quickly reach many consumers at a time. However this doesn’t allow us to reach them emotionally. Delivering your messages personal messages will have a greater impact on your target.

• Know Your Target:

No consumer wants to receive a generalized message. To build these long lasting connections you desire it is crucial to do your homework. Every customer is different so learning what they desire and what media source they prefer gives you the chance to personalize your message and build relationships. You want your customers to feel special, and this can be achieved by targeting each one as an individual rather than just another consumer.

• Show Appreciation:

Letting your customers know you recognize them is important. This can be done by sending out personal emails and showing them that you are appreciative of them purchasing goods and services. You can also give discounts so that they return and continue doing business with you.

• Listen:

Listening to your customers is a great way for you to gather enough important information needed to grow. The feedback you receive is one of the best ways to gather data that lets you understand how your customers feel about the product or service you offer. In turn, you can then use this feedback to determine whether or not you are meeting customer expectations.

One way of showing your customers that you care is by listening to your customer reviews, and using them to better your product or service. It is important to remember to listen to both the bad and good customer reviews. If your consumers are dissatisfied with something it is important you become aware of it so that you can make improvements. Likewise, knowing what keeps them happy is just as important so that you can know what causes this satisfaction, and how it can be used for similar customers.

Journalists

To operate efficiently in the PR industry you must be capable of connecting with not only consumers but also the media and journalists. Forming relationships with the media and building strong connections can lead to your business becoming the most talked about amongst the journalism industry. It may take time and work, but the benefits are huge.

Here are ways to form Relationships with Journalists:

• Do Your Research:

Every journalist is different, and knowing how to work with them is crucial. Before reaching out to a reporter, do some research and find out what kinds of stories they cover, and what industry they specialize in. Go over some of their past stories, and get a sense of them. This proves to be very beneficial by showing you care and looking at them as more than a journalist. Knowing who you’re pitching your ideas to is key to making a good first impression, and building a long lasting relationship.

• Be Website friendly

The truth is that before working with businesses, journalists do their research also. Having a media friendly website not only gives you an SEO boost but it also lets journalists see what your business is all about. Press releases on your website provide journalists information to write their stories. The story might not be directly about your company but there’s still a way to gain publicity. This means that if you have a good press page, you’ll gain content that someone else wants to promote for you on sites that a lot of people visit and trust.

Consumers want to have human connection and understanding of the product or service they are purchasing. This is why building relationships have been the driving force in the marketing and public relations industry. Knowing how to reach consumers by creating personal content is the most effective way to gain publicity and make an impact. As we see more and more people use social media, you need to consider that your consumer may not feel the personal connection they once felt. If you can make an emotional connection with your target audience, that’s when you gain the loyalty a growing business needs.