Brand awareness on a tighter budget: When the media covers your company because it’s newsworthy or because you can offer an expert opinion, it generates free publicity for your product or services. While it’s typically unethical to pay for media coverage, sponsored content – a form of advertising – offers a lower-cost opportunity to garner notice. Just make sure that you disclose the content is subsidized.
Better marketing and advertising: Public relations isn’t marketing or advertising, but it is a natural complement to both. Think about it: everything works together. If you saw a bunch of ads for a company you’d never heard of, wouldn’t you research that company? Then, if you found abundant positive coverage about the business, you’d be more likely to buy from them.
Damage control: Certain PR tactics can help you wrestle back control of damaging narratives around your company. That’s not possible with marketing or advertising, which simply promote your products. That said, PR isn’t the same as online reputation management (ORM), which involves responding to negative customer reviews and eliminating negative content.
Permanence: Eventually, ads outlive their paid period of high presence, and all marketing campaigns eventually come to a close. The media you earn through PR, though, doesn’t go anywhere. Any internet search relevant to your brand, products or services could potentially find this media. That means lots of possible opportunities to engage consumers with your story.
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