Career Trends: May 21, 2022
Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
Content Credit:
- Article by Melanie Marten, owner of The Coup Public Relations since 2010, and the founder of the DIY PR platform. Published on Forbes.com. Original article link.
Entrepreneurship is all around us. With the Great Resignation, millions of people are leaving their corporate jobs, and many are kickstarting freelance careers. Freelancers, also called solo or micro-entrepreneurs, are part of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises).
“Gig economy” is a widely used term that downplays the desire to work for yourself, as it implies that you’d be hustling for small gigs. The opposite is usually the case.
From 2022 and beyond, the economy will be dominated by freelancers.
Tech giant Google recognised this trend early on and opened its organisation up to freelancers, who work on their own terms, in their own time and at a location of their choice. And since 2018, it’s been reported that the number of freelancers at Google exceeds the number of permanent full-time employees.
PR is key for sustainable business growth
Public relations (PR) is the discipline that enables entrepreneurs to recognise and present their value, know-how and benefits to the public, which is necessary for sustainable business development.
For any entrepreneur looking to grow their business, here is what you need to know about PR:
PR is for anyone
- The communication discipline PR is for everyone, regardless of the size or stage of your business.
- It’s about actively communicating what you and your business stand for in the channels where you find your target audience.
- This allows you to be able to attract the network you need to thrive and to reach awareness for your brand, whether it’s your personal brand or an associated brand with services or products.
PR is a long game
- PR is for anyone who is looking to build a sustainable business.
- It’s about truly defining what you and your company stand for and learning to communicate your vision, mission and values.
- It’s also about strengthening your network, your reach and, most importantly, your voice to enable you to market any new service or product you may launch in the future.
It is cost-efficient
- PR is one of the most cost-effective marketing activities you can choose and one of the most valuable.
- It’s about the relationships you build and the mentions and referrals your business receives.
- As every business owner sooner or later realises, word-of-mouth is the primary driver of business.
- PR is linked to other marketing disciplines and can benefit any promotional campaigns you plan in the future.
How can one get started with PR?
Your business needs a message
- Take the time to sit down and formulate a value proposition in just a few sentences.
- When doing so, think about your target audience and their needs and desires.
- Formulating this message is the first step in being able to explain to people why your company exists and thus start a conversation.
- Adapt your value proposition every year based on learnings, developments and trends.
Build your presence
- Research, observe and, above all, be active in the channels that reach your target audience.
- Which podcasts do they listen to? Which social media channels do they use? Which trade media do they read? Which newsletters do they subscribe to? Which memberships do they have?
- These are the channels where you need to build your presence.
Be newsworthy
- It’s critical that you also stay well informed about news and trends that affect your target audience.
- These are the topics where you can shine with your industry expertise and offer an opinion or advice,
- You can share that on a social media post, newsletter mailing, in your business club’s forum, with a journalist for a potential article or interview, or in a webinar — the possibilities are endless.
- The important thing is to put yourself out there.
Doing this regularly will give you valuable insights into your target audience, allowing you to refine your offering and gain valuable endorsements from your network.
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Have you checked out yesterday’s blog yet?
MNCs Set To Hire Over 200,000 Employees In India
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
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