Public relations can be a very broad subject and the definition can be very grey. When it gets right down to it you need to understand that public relations has everything to do with your business being well known, credible, and people having high regard for you and your company. And that doesn’t just happen without effort from you.

Public relations is another form of relationship. But instead of relating to your existing clientele or people who have opted in to your list, this type of relationship is dealing with the public. The ones that don’t know you yet or those that watch you from afar.

What are they watching?  They are watching for your interaction. Your integrity. Your community involvement. Your treatment of customers before AND after a sale. They are making sure you are credible. They have their eyes on you. Be aware of what they will be seeing.

Now, with a brick and mortar store this relationship can be seen more within the community in a physical way.  If you have an online business you will have to rely more on social media. This can be tricky and takes a fair amount of effort on your part.

With brick and mortar stores you are meeting your customers face to face. They get to hear your voice, your voice inflections and see your mannerisms. You can easily and quickly correct a misinterpretation.

When you are an online business the voice inflections don’t come across in copy and simple things like sincerity can be hard to portray. So with social media and online customer service you have to go out of your way to humanize your one dimensional self. You need to bring an emotional connection to your words.

Some people have a clear knack for this type of writing and correspondence. If this isn’t one of your skills you might consider interviewing different copywriters who can write in your voice. Start thinking about audio and video correspondence in your social media.  Bring an extra dimension of yourself to the online world. By doing this you are becoming someone they can relate to. You are becoming a friend.

As we know, a kinship – a friendship is what business relationships are built upon. People like to know, or at least think, they have a connection with the person they are doing business with. Having that connection allows them to feel an important part of your world. They can then relate more to the products or services you are selling.

As you build credibility and build a bridge from online person to friend – you become someone they can trust. You become an expert in your field and in turn, someone they want to do business with.

With the influx of social media and virtual interaction many people have forgotten that social manners still apply.  To be honest, they probably apply more and need to be paid attention to at a higher level.  Once you talk, post or interact on social media there is no taking back, there is no correcting it, there is no ‘let me try to explain’.  You need to think very carefully about your words and online actions and how they will be perceived because you are not talking to just one person – you are talking to millions.