The Power of Public Relations

It's not what you say about yourself that gets results, it's what others say about you that builds positive awareness, changes perceptions from bad to good and build's instant credibility through endorsement. That is the value of public relations.

PR does something that advertising can never do; make a reader, viewer or listener believe that your product or service is credible and good. Why? More often than not, the key prospect (the consumer) has built a level of trust with the media and/or reporter they receive the story from. So when the reporter says this product is the best thing since sliced bread, the prospect will probably believe. If they read the same thing in an ad, they probably would not.

That's why public relations is earned media, not paid media. Positive public relations is harder to get since it depends on a third party to believe in your product before it gets to their audience. But when it does, it is more impactful than a typical advertisement. That's why every product wants to be on Oprah, The Today Show or Dr. Phil. Their endorsement, through positive press coverage, could mean the difference to an OK sales year or one where a small company bursts onto the national scene for decades to come.

So when thinking about ways to market your product, service or company, make sure that public relations is part of the marketing mix. It will be the single most important investment you can make to create the brand you always wanted.

In coming posts, we'll explore how to use PR for obtaining some of these results and provide some tips that anyone can use.