As an East Tennessee business owner, you no doubt understand the need to give back to your community.
Philanthropic endeavors are so sewn into the local fabric that our university—the University of Tennessee—is nicknamed “The Volunteers.” Volunteering and helping others are part of our genetic makeup in East Tennessee.
And these days, it’s OK to promote your company’s charitable giving. Your employees want to be involved in your efforts, and the community enjoys hearing about these actions.
More than 85% of consumers say they are more likely to do business with a company that gives to charities. It also helps with recruiting new talent. More than half of employees want to work for a socially responsible company.
But you have to be careful in how you promote your philanthropic efforts. That’s why you need an effective East Tennessee public relations plan that includes promoting these efforts. This is particularly true around the holiday season.
Building a Positive Reputation
Your company is seen as trustworthy and compassionate when it follows through on a promise to shelter stray animals or donates a new heating unit to a needy family.
Your commitment to making a positive impact on local needs shows you care about the community where you do business. The more local consumers see your involvement, the more your company builds a positive reputation.
And since many local news outlets love to feature the joys of giving during the holiday season, you can leverage PR to boost your brand’s charitable impact this time of year.
Picking the Right Charity
While you want to highlight your company’s philanthropic efforts, you don’t want to appear disingenuous.
Consumers are smart. They know when your company is doing something just for appearances.
That’s why it’s important to pick a charity that aligns with your company’s culture. The best way to do this is to have your employees involved in choosing the charity. This ensures they will care about the charity and will want to volunteer.
The right PR partner can also help you align your culture with your charitable efforts. PR experts can investigate the charities in your area that fit with your company’s direction and make recommendations.
Highlighting Your Involvement
Once you’ve made your decision and set up your fundraising or volunteer event, you need to involve a PR partner to help you promote it.
You don’t want to just talk about the date of the event, but what material needs your donation or volunteer efforts provide. Writing a series of press releases and social media and blog posts about your event and its impact gets your name in the news in a positive light.
As one of East Tennessee’s best public relations companies, Ripley PR’s content writers can help you craft your philanthropic message. Additionally, our media relations specialists have developed relationships with local reporters to get your message out to the public.
If you’re ready to showcase your East Tennessee company’s charitable giving program this holiday season, call Ripley PR at (865) 977-1973 or contact us online.
