Public Relations firms work very well for larger and established brands because their focus is on getting more mentions and generating more buzz.
With larger companies, these smaller wins count because they are established enough to generate traction even through smaller mentions.
But when the company in question is a small one or startup, they will have more to gain from a strategy that focuses on traction and growth. This is where the Public Relations Flywheel model comes in.
Public Relations Flywheel
The Public Relations Flywheel model is somewhat based on the marketing Flywheel model, but there are certain marked differences. Both Public Relations Flywheel and Marketing Flywheel rely on gaining momentum through focusing on one single action. In the case of marketing, the focus is on the customer. But with the Public Relations Flywheel model, the focus is on creating something press worthy, and then allowing the attention it brings to create a strong momentum towards growth and recognition.
The PR flywheel can be classified as an entity that exists between PR and SEO - where it has features from both, but cannot be strictly classified into either category. It is a model that can allow smaller and mid-sized businesses to gather both authority and relevance.
How does the Flywheel Work?
The PR flywheel model works in the following way:
● The company or start-up takes an action that is noteworthy. If the company offers a product, then the noteworthy action should be something other than their offering. It could be a donation to a charity, a sponsorship of any kind, or even creating a product that is revolutionary.
● After the organization is mentioned in the press, the momentum for recognition begins. It is essential that any press coverage links back to the organization’s website. This will help search engines establish the website as an authoritative source. Frequent mentions will also help establish the reputation of the company in people’s minds.
● If the company is mentioned by a reputed site, chances are that more and more people will visit the linked website. It can also improve the social mentions of the website, if the story is shared by several people.
● Through the backlinks from a reputed site, the website of the company will grow as a reliable and reputed source. This will help increase people’s trust and familiarity with the company’s image and products.
With increasing relevance, chances are that other reputed sources or journalists may cover the company and their story. The more reliable and authoritative the company and their website seems, the better are the odds of increasing relevance. If the company’s story generates enough interest, it may get mentioned by different reputed websites.
This is the cycle of the flywheel. Each mention of the company by a reputed source can lead to even more mentions and backlinks from different reputed sources. With more mention, chances are that the company’s website will receive more traffic. With more traffic, the probability of visitors turning into customers increases.