Public relations can give your company more visibility, and it can also enhance your credibility. That combination can help your business make more sales.

If your company sells a product or service, you probably use marketing and business development efforts to get leads for new customers or clients. But think about what happens after these potential customers hear about your company – they’ll research you online and ask friends or colleagues about you.

This is where PR can make a difference. If these folks are impressed, they are more likely to become customers. 

With this in mind, here are six things to think about as you consider a PR program:

1. Effective PR requires an understanding of your business and your customers.

Simply sending out news releases or writing shallow content won’t make an impact. Smart business-to-business PR professionals take the time to understand your company, and produce “news you can use” content that helps customers and prospective customers solve challenges. 

2. As the news media shrinks, producing quality content is more important than ever.

PR used to revolve around getting news coverage. While that is still important, shrinking newsrooms make it harder and harder to find those opportunities. It’s critical that your company also produces its own content – optimized to be found online – about your company’s news and its thoughts on trends.

3. PR needs to work hand-in-hand with your marketing.

The best way to have a positive impact on your visibility and credibility is to have an integrated marketing and communications program. It’s important for PR pros to work closely with the marketing team, making sure messaging is consistent and opportunities aren’t missed. 

4. Don’t send leaders out for media interviews or public presentations without training.

Some people are naturally good in these situations, while others need more training. Regardless, it’s important to know the rules of the road for media interviews, and to practice your public speaking. Training should focus on providing tips followed by mock interviews or practice presentations with on-the-spot feedback. Of course, one session isn’t the whole answer – practicing these skills is critical.

5. PR and marketing work best when done by experienced professionals.

I run into situations where a company is trying to cobble together a PR or marketing program internally, with people who don’t have training or experience. Just as you would do with lawyers or accountants, it’s important to make the investment to do the job right. This will pay off.

6. PR and marketing should be long-term investments.

There are no magic answers for effective PR and marketing; a program takes time to show results. Certainly, everyone should have a sense of urgency, but know that whether it’s building an online presence or growing your stature in your industry, getting results takes time.

Kyle Parks is Principal of Parks PR, which specializes in business-to-business communications. A former journalist, he has more than 20 years of experience in corporate and agency PR. Learn more at ParksPublicRelations.com.