Public Relations (PR) helps build and maintain positive public image of your business to the public. At the heart of this form of communication lies effective dialogue. It includes gaining exposure to audiences using topics of public interest and news items that do not require direct payments.

Across America thousands of small- and medium-sized businesses conduct PR campaigns every day with little investments. Whether you’re a small-business owner or an entrepreneur, PR can help level the playing field between you and your bigger competition. For you to excel in PR you will need to sharpen a set of practical skills and strategies designed to enhance your company’s reputation.

If done right PR can help you achieve your marketing objectives at a fraction of the cost of paid advertising. The key to success in PR is to be creative in your messaging. In a nutshell your PR tasks should be newsworthy and communicate the marketing message.

This is achieved through a planned and sustained set of activities.

PR Vs Marketing

Public Relations is a business tool that often gets confused with marketing or advertising. Though the two are related they are very distinct activities. There are four key differences between PR and marketing. These are appeal, control, credibility and repetition.

Appeal

Your publicity effort should have an angle. The messaging should appeal to the media, the intended public and customers at large. Ads appeal to only one audience which are sales prospects and do not reach a broader audience.

Control

When you advertise, you have almost total control over the content, format, timing, and size of your message. You specify how big your ad is and when it runs. With public relations however you have almost no control over the content, format, timing, and size of your message as it appears in the media. Though you can write anything you want in a press release, you can’t dictate to the newspaper how it is printed or used.