Oscar Wilde once said, “There is only one thing worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”
Today, in the age of social media and the immediacy of Internet culture, public relations can be generated for a company 24 hours a day—from dozens of different platforms and almost any location. While traditional media still holds weight in the arena of public awareness, the interactive aspects of social media can and should be leveraged to provide a new level of content and information dissemination.
A carefully crafted PR campaign raises awareness and generates interest in a company and its products. “Buzz” used to begin with the media, but now the traditional role of media has shifted and can often be the last step after a viral social media conversation. By developing positive media relationships (on and offline) and increasing public exposure, companies are able to build their brands, enhance their reputations and increase their chances for continued success.
While social media is often part of an advertising or marketing campaign, many vibrant digital reputations begin and end with public relations. People often confuse PR with advertising, but the two are dramatically different. Simply put, advertising places ads while PRplaces news. Both are designed to elevate consumer interest in a product. Both often use the same media – print, radio, television and the web—but this is where the similarities end.
PR Builds Credibility
It is widely agreed that the public lends more credibility to articles and editorial content than to advertisements, and the same thing goes for sponsored versus organic online content. Public relations placements help form a favorable opinion through the third-party endorsement of non-biased industry authorities (namely members of the media). Consider which holds more weight – an advertisement about a company’s product or a positive article written about the best new product in its category. Or, a Facebook page with user participation and comments, versus a banner ad.
Bottom line? PR generates news coverage and news coverage builds credibility. It’s easy to toot your own horn. It’s more difficult to get the third party endorsement of the media.
PR is Cost Effective
In recent years, transparent fiscal responsibility has taken on a new importance in corporate America. The costs associated with display and broadcast advertisements, direct mail campaigns and event sponsorships have not been justified by the return on investment. Public Relations campaigns, however, have proven to be far less expensive than advertising campaigns, most obviously because the fees associated with space, production, media buying, etc., don’t apply. Another benefit to ROI; the messages and articles generated by public relations efforts may have more impact since consumers tend to pay more attention to stories than advertisements.
Longer Life Span
To the typical reader, an ad is like a butterfly – it can be colorful and attractive, but the exposure time in over in an instant as it flutters by. This isn’t the case with PR. A well-placed story can reap benefits for an extended period of time. For example, reprints of key placements can be displayed in showrooms and at tradeshows or generally distributed to customers and other contacts. And, what is online often lives there forever.
Story Personalization
The fundamental PR strategy is to place a number of stories in multiple media segments and outlets – from daily newspapers to trade magazines; local morning shows to national consumer publications.
Due to limited time and space, advertisements rarely provide ample room to personalize the message of a company or its products. A public relations campaign does and so does social media. By generating multiple story angles designed to reach different media outlets – such as trade publications, business journals, daily and weekly newspapers, city and regional magazines, and major national magazines – you enhance the number of published and broadcast stories about your business. Each of these stories educates the public on what the company and/or products are all about, and can be tailored to a unique company voice.
Remember—the goal of a public relations campaign for a building products company is to create and maintain interest, build credibility, establish its position in the marketplace and save money over traditional advertising. There are a vast number of opportunities within reach if a company has a well-crafted plan and the right team to execute it.
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