Opinion is subjective, and it varies from consumer to consumer. An opinion is based on an individual’s unique experience and can be influenced in hundreds of ways each day.
If every opinion is completely subjective, how can public relations (PR) professionals manage public opinion of a brand day-to-day? PR professionals should consider the market average perception, participate in regular social listening, and strive to do better for their customers every day–—even if things are going well. They can also partake in any of the following five tactics, which all work to sway public opinion for the better. After all, what is public relations but a study in the art of persuasion?
Techniques PR Firms Use to Influence Public Opinion
1. Getting into the Mind of the Customer
It’s imperative that marketers understand the psyche of their customers. PR professionals should do market research to gather data on how and why customers make purchasing decisions, the pain points they experience during the purchasing process, what they’re looking for in their products, and the price point that works best for them. This type of data is invaluable and can help PR professionals craft copy, releases, pitches, social media posts, and more campaigns that seemingly speak directly to consumers.
Any smart PR firm knows that understanding the customer is the first step in building a great PR strategy—and that includes campaigns regarding public perception. If, on average, your customers want responsiveness when they ask questions on your website, you will be able to provide them with that. When customers get what is important to them, they experience more positive feelings towards the brand, leading to improved public opinion.
2. Keeping Communications Clear & Informative
PR is all about clear, concise communication. Through careful communication, PR professionals can alter public opinion. The most important thing is how any given PR campaign informs the customer. Does it mention facts and figures to back its claims, or does it persuade by appealing to the customer’s emotional side? Perhaps the campaign does both. Public relations professionals are masters of communication and should carefully consider their language, their supporting information, and the method in which they disseminate communications, as each of these decisions will have an impact on public opinion of the brand overall.
Most importantly, these communications should not contribute to any confusion. Triple-check all communications to ensure they are crystal-clear and leave customers feeling confident about the information they’ve digested.
3. Appeal to the Emotions
Assuming you have ample data about your customers and their interests, as well as what convinces them to make a purchase, you can use pathos to make a sale. PR professionals can veer off the beaten path to make an emotional appeal using heart-tugging language and visuals when facts and figures simply aren’t cutting it.
Perhaps you’re trying to endear a company to a new community in which it has expanded. Sharing photos from a recent volunteer event, as well as quotes from employees and the community they’re serving, can appeal to the emotional side of consumers and help sway their public opinion in a positive direction. Remember, both consumers and the people behind the business are human! Emotions are inevitable. Use them to help endear your brand and mission to the people it serves. A good blend of this technique with more straightforward communication is essential to build a positive public opinion.
4. Strategic Press Releases
Press releases, when published by credible news sources, can be extremely persuasive. The general public tends to trust certain journalists and publications, and they have the added benefit of knowing the information being published by major publications has been vetted by editors, and sometimes even lawyers. That means press releases that are picked up by well-known, widespread publications have the capacity to significantly sway public opinion.
In this day and age, press releases are incredibly common. It can be difficult to stand out from the crowd! PR professionals must use unique and compelling tactics in their writing, in their email subject lines, and in their media targeting to secure proper placements. This type of effort can pay off in dividends if a top-tier placement is secured.
5. Acting Responsibly
Companies can’t just talk the talk; they also need to walk the walk. Leadership and company executives must get out into the community at public events, employee appreciation parties, and speaking opportunities to bolster public opinion. Organizations can also plan volunteer days and charitable events, participate in local parades, take out advertisements in the local newspaper, and more. Non-traditional PR tactics like these will create a solid foundation for the marketing work required to change public opinion. Writing great statements and releases is not enough; the public needs to see companies in action, doing good work, to fully get on board. I would not recommend just focusing on your client’s company, product, and services only. Sometimes you need to do something different from daily activities to gain popularity. People like being associated with companies and brands with strong mission statements, are not entirely focused on making money, and that act responsibly toward society and the environment.
Influencing Public Opinion for Your Brand with PR
Well-designed public relations campaigns flawlessly promote brands while disseminating information, persuading audiences, and influencing public opinion. Whether you’re facing a public perception crisis or building a foundation for future success, your PR strategies should employ the five techniques mentioned above to see the best possible return on your efforts.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies (including product offerings, regulatory plans and business plans) and may change without notice. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.
Original Source of the original story >> 5 Ways Public Relations Influences Public Opinion
