Why your business needs to embrace Public Relations

When it comes to doing business, your reputation is everything.

Sure, you also need a solid product or service offering, but align that with a positive reputation and your chances of success are greatly improved. That’s where Public Relations comes in.

But what is Public Relations (PR) really about? At Very Media, we are often asked what public relations really means. And what is the difference between PR, advertising and marketing?

So in this blog, we’re going to get these differences sorted.

What is Public Relations?

Public relations focuses on your reputation and on building relationships with stakeholders and target audiences. Generating positive PR isn’t necessarily always about making a profit in the short term, but it is about building a reputable profile to sustain your business in the long term. Techniques used in Public Relations include crisis communications, communication strategies (internal and external), media engagement, content creation, speech writing … to name a few.

What is Marketing?

Marketing focuses on making a profit, in most instances through the sale of a product or service.

You’ll find marketing will utilise Public Relations but it will form part of the marketing mix (or the four P’s): Product, Place, Promotion and Price.

What is Advertising?

Together, both Public Relations and Marketing will utilise advertising to portray key messages. They will purchase advertising “space” to convey those messages. 

Five reasons you need a Public Relations strategy

Now that we’ve broken down the jargon, let me share the best reasons why having a solid Public Relations strategy will benefit your company:

  1. Building reputation by positioning yourself as an ‘expert’ in your field

  2. Generating ‘free’ media coverage in the ‘news’

  3. Telling your story the way you want it told

  4. Focusing on your customers and engaging with them rather than pushing a product they might not want (yet!)

  5. Giving yourself more credibility and impact

While Public Relations and Marketing are becoming very closely aligned, there needs to be a place for both in business. Working together, they can produce remarkable benefits for your company.

And as a PR tutor currently at Griffith University, instilling the importance of Public Relations for any business is vital, no matter how the platforms you are utilising may change in our disruptive digital age.

When done well, good Public Relations techniques will always have a positive effect on your company.