Anti-crisis PR: how to promote a company and not to burn?
The crisis is the most difficult time for companies, during which it is important for any business to maintain its position and, if possible, strengthen it. Do not lose the audience and not drown in tons of news and every second updated social network feeds. Experts discussed this problem in the framework of “Surely a PR-marathon”, which took place on February 12. For the most interesting and practical advice on confronting the information crisis for companies, read our material.
Tactics 1. Anywhere without digital
In times of economic and political crises, the Internet remains the most important and operational source of information. This fact can and should be used by companies in order to tell or remind the audience about themselves, their products and achievements. According to Mila Krutchenko, Strategy Director at the AdPro Internet Agency, the Internet is the only media with an ever-growing audience reach and increasing contact time with users:
Moreover, recently the tendency of the influence of the Internet on making purchases has become quite clear. Thus, according to research, 37% of users make purchases on the Internet, while 69% of respondents are looking for information about a product online, and only 31% of respondents do not. At the same time, according to Mila Krutchenko, 23% of respondents advertise the goods and services on the Internet, but 7% of the audience trust such advertising information. This fact means that in order to make a statement about themselves on the Internet, companies should not use only advertising. Most likely, this will not bring proper results. It is much more effective, based on the situation, to apply different tactics and cover as many layers of the target audience as possible.
Determining the most profitable and effective methods of promoting a brand or products on the Internet, companies should focus primarily on the tastes and preferences of their target audience and also on the goals pursued by the launch of an advertising campaign. “The main thing is to position the audience to yourself,” says Mila Krutchenko. Among the most effective tools of covert promotion is to allocate directly the PR, buzz-marketing, implying the dissemination of information on the principle of “word of mouth” and SMM. The current situation is a fundamental factor in determining the most appropriate strategy:
The use of PR and SMM is more effective if the company needs to convey its competitive advantages to the audience;
the use of PR and buzz-marketing is suitable for situations in which the goal of the campaign is to overcome barriers or eliminate negativity;
PR and SMM are good channels for an educational campaign.
Also an important factor in the process of choosing channels of communication with the audience on the Internet is the model by which potential customers decide on the purchase of products or services of the company. So, if most consumers are driven by emotions, companies are better off opting for SMM and buzz marketing. If there is a more rational decision making – the choice should fall on PR.
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Also, according to Daniil Vakhovsky, head of the PR department of Nova Posta, a good strategy for promoting the company on the Internet is telling stories of people or brands. The marketing strategy, called “telling stories”, works well on blogs, social networks and ezines. Stories should inspire and attract attention. In order for the company to always remain in trend and be an authoritative source of information for its target audience, according to Daniil Vakhovsky, its PR department must function as a digital newsroom, generating creative ideas and informative content.
Tactic 2. Collaboration with bloggers
Crisis times, among other things, are also associated with periods of mistrust of the press and media platforms by users. In such a situation, cooperation with bloggers, whose articles read 30% of Internet users, and to the main target audience can be an aid in the implementation of a PR strategy.
