What exactly is Public Relations?

There is so much hype around the world of PR. In some cases, PR is considered only for the super-trendy (think of the work of Whitney on MTV's "The City") and in other cases, PR is seen as the car behind gimmicks or more national media attention to the brand . The reality, however, is that public relations is a day to day work to be performed for large and small businesses not only generate brand awareness, but maintain a positive public image. And 'the spokesman of a business that tells the public what is happening, whether it is launching a new product, an important company milestone, a new hire, a special event, an expansion of services, etc. are increasingly in Meeting new job that very few people truly understand and value that PR provides companies in the long term. The disconnect between the reality of PR and the hype is particularly evident when we are required to commission fees or totally unrealistic goals (like being on Oprah tomorrow ...).

Here you define public relations is and what it's not eligible to implement a public relations campaign.

What PR is the following:

1. Exposure. Call it brand awareness, name recognition they call it, call it advertising. It 's the same thing. PR is the exposure. Public Relations creates the exposure of a brand, product, service or business. The exposure comes in many different forms: magazine articles, on-line blogs, product reviews, television segments on the evening news, talk radio broadcasts, tweets on Twitter, branding in a newsletter, flyers sent to the shop Local cafes, workshops, speaking engagements, awards, and the list goes on. What is important to note is that the type of exposure is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Public relations campaigns must be tailored and developed around specific objectives of an organization and budget. The beauty of PR is that it is adaptable, customizable, creative and constantly evolving to keep pace with the latest news or to create the latest trends and everything is done through various means of exposure.

2. Credible. How many times have we read an ad or watch an ad and think, Product X can really do this? Probably quite often. On the other hand, how many times have we read an article written by a journalist and ask the same question? Probably not as often. This is because we look for members of the media to be credible, reliable sources that you have the impartial results through their editorials. If a journalist writes about the effectiveness of a product, it is because he or she did research, talked to people who have used the product, company spokesman talked about, and often, also tried the same products to offer the public a fair and accurate report. This is the same news organization or service. The media do their job to ensure that whatever the story is true and accurate. Most of the publications to maintain a high level of integrity when it comes to journalism. There are, unfortunately, some publications that do not make separate investments in advertising and journalism accurate, but those publications are far and few between PR and your team will know that the publications in order to avoid contact for this reason. Bottom line, when an impartial third party is able to appreciate your company, product or service, the public will be much more likely to value it as well.

3. Convenient. Advertising on popular TV, online and print media outlets can cost a few thousand dollars to a few million. And this is just for publicity and you'd better hope it's the only TV station, magazine or web site that your prospects are reading. The downside, public relations campaigns can cost a few hundred to several thousand dollars every month, but that can translate into tens or even hundreds of media mentions in various outlets, and by all means, including print, online and broadcast. When you are evaluating the biggest bang for your buck, PR will always be more cost-effective to generate exposure.

In the PR is not:
1. Exclusive. You do not have to be an important designer or international society of technology to reap the benefits of PR. Companies of all sizes in all industries can benefit from a customized PR campaign to generate exposure and credibility.

2. Advertising. For advertising, you can create an ad and pay quite handsomely for guaranteed placement in a media outlet. For PR, you pay a professional or a team of professionals to talk with reporters and editors about your news and get them to write stories about you on your behalf in a way that benefits their readers. With advertising, it is likely to pay an advertising agency to design and make the announcement, but also to pay the newspaper to publish, send or air the ad. With PR, you pay a PR agency or professional to talk to their contacts with the media on a regular basis to create editorial insertions. In addition to paying the professional PR for their time, expertise and relationships, there is no money also exchanged.

3. Guaranteed. Because public relations is not paid advertising, there is no guarantee it will air a story or publish an article. The fluid nature of the PR industry means that the stories ever new strength, new trends are coming out, and new products and services are constantly being launched. If a TV crew is booked to cover the event and a breaking news story hits before they reach your event, the latest news will always take precedence. It 's just the nature of the business. However, it is also the task / challenge or PR representative (s) to work with your contacts, making the actual history, to find the hook that makes the news and get the media to cover your story at every opportunity.

4. Sales. Too often we are asked, "what can I expect my bottom line to grow with PR?" The more appropriate question is: "what can I expect with the media since my budget?" PR firms and professionals are in business because they are good at them. They know how to protect the editorial characteristics, they know how to work with the media and know what makes a story interesting. PR professionals can provide editorial placements, drive new traffic to your website and create a wealth of exposure, but at the end of the day, your product or service should be good enough and priced competitively enough that people actually buy or use. PR professionals to sell the story, but it's up to you and your sales team to sell the real product or service.

That said, you should expect your PR team to be able to tell you how much the media can be expected with a given budget, based on their experience. Once again, PR is not guaranteed, and those who did PR for long enough will be able to tell you what is realistic and what is not given your business, budget and the newsworthiness of your story.

Who should use PR?

Every company, large or small, in all sectors can benefit from PR. If you are a small business, look to consultants or PR agencies are, like their taxes will be much cheaper. Your ultimate goal for rent and outsourced PR professionals is to hire someone who has the time, media reports and the expertise to do the job. This is a full time job that requires great experience and industry knowledge, as well as exceptional communication skills and long-standing relationships with journalists.

The customer and public relations firm should be equally committed to the campaign, regardless of who is responsible for running it. PR is a long-term investment that, over time, will definitely increase the bottom line. But if you are not willing to put time, effort and cost effectively in a strategic PR campaign, then wait until you're ready. Otherwise, it will not be happy with the results, regardless of how effective the campaign could be.

My hope is that this short article provides some insight into what PR is and what is not. My biggest suggestion for each perspective is this: talk to other PR firms / other professionals before making the decision to start a PR campaign. This will not only give a better measure of which companies / professionals are the best solution for your company, will also be an educational experience for you to hear how each company / PR professional approaches and what they recommend for your specific business. Request proposals from at least three firms / professionals and meet individually. Make your decision based on their knowledge, experience, relationships and general sense of comfort and security that the company or PR professional can get the job done. Do not hesitate to ask for references and work samples and make sure you understand exactly what you will pay and how that will be communicated to you on an ongoing basis. My last suggestion is to meet face to face on a quarterly basis to review and update the PR strategy, look at the results to date, and assess how the campaign is having an impact on your bottom line. It should be an increase in revenues over time, if you and your staff PR agent to plan and work together toward the same goal of increasing exposure .......