Should you preserve your PR budget in 2009?

I think most marketing managers have heard that it’s unwise to cut advertising activity when the company budget is tight. But what about public relations activity, which is often moved to the back burner in favor of direct lead-generation tactics?  Here are a few reasons why your PR investment still makes sense even with an ultra-tight budget.

1) Your Company Needs a Voice.
Even if budgets are cut, you don’t want your company to “lose its voice.” If your company goes silent, another company will certainly fill the void. Plus, how much “louder” will you need to speak when customers are ready to buy again? If you don’t have the budget for a large advertising campaign (or even a small one), PR is a good way to keep your voice out there in the news media, whether it’s through a basic press release program or even interviews for round-up articles. It can be a cost-effective way to keep your name in front of prospects. Plus, PR can help you reach niche markets where advertising may be cost-prohibitive.

2) Journalists Need Your Help.
Two key ideas apply here. First, journalists are being asked to do more than simply write articles. Now, reporters and editors must maintain blogs, develop podcasts, create online video, feed multiple e-newsletters and post news on the web weekly, if not daily or even hourly. That’s a lot of material to fill.

Second, with a tight economy, we’ve seen publications’ travel budgets and staff being reduced. This means journalists are relying more on good outside sources (e.g. savvy news-generating companies and PR pros) to fill their quota for newsworthy content. This means journalists may be more receptive to hearing from you because they need viable story leads.

3) PR Content is Ideal for Reaching Customers Directly.
Even if marketing budgets are cut, now is not the time to let your website get stale. The same content you’ve developed for overextended journalists can be adapted for your website to keep it fresh, support your SEO and SEM efforts, and even engage customers directly. Here’s an example: a customer application or technical tutorial story can work as an article, downloadable web content, audio podcast, online video, blog entry and e-newsletter link. And your sales force can use it for direct mail, too.

One last thought… As the new presidential administration begins to implement policy changes, this presents a prime PR opportunity to speak up, join the conversation and contribute as an expert on relevant issues to get your company’s name out there, rather than pulling back on your PR efforts.