How to proactively safeguard your SMB from a PR Crisis – Shama Hyder | Zen Media

Every business fears having a PR crisis. You may even have asked yourself, “What can I do if my business has a PR crisis”? On today’s episode of The Small Business Show, we’re joined by Shama Hyder, CEO of Zen Media, Best-Selling Author, and Keynote Speaker. Shama is an expert in digital marketing and is here to give us some tips to avoid a PR crisis. 

Shama Hyder grew Zen Media from a small startup to a market-leading firm. Hyder also distinguished herself as a leading figure in international marketing, delivering keynote addresses to sold-out audiences in more than 20 nations and authoring a few best-selling books. But her sense of innovation makes her the person CMOs go-to for boosting market share, establishing reputal brands, and providing bottom-line outcomes.

Key Takeaways:

1. Hyder believes brands must constantly protect their reputations to avert, manage, or recover from a PR disaster. 

2. Brands must engage in positive PR. For instance, if an SMB gets a bad review, it will be less impactful if the firm has many positive ratings. 

3. Resolving a crisis requires a straightforward narrative about what is going on, which all parties are aware of. 

4. Overcommunicating is also essential when rebuilding. Moreover, consistency, assurance, and ensuring everyone is informed will be the healthiest way of avoiding any PR issue. 

5. SMBs need to expand their views of what they consider PR and traditional media since PR can be internal, too. Internal PR consists of how you communicate with your teams, customers, and stakeholders- which could imply multiple messages. 

6. For SMBs not in a crisis- great! But make sure you’re leveraging the positive so it’s not the only narrative about your company if something you don’t like happens. 

7. For SMBs in a crisis- strategy will be vital, and leaning on professionals will be your way out. 

"Transparency and empathy will be your ticket to the other side." – Shama Hyder