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September 07, 2014

Naturally we choose Advertising because we're more exposed to it - which is exactly what it's supposed to do: help gain exposure. This can be costly, and depending on your strategy it's also normal for readers to be guarded when reading ads.

Surprisingly, if used correctly, focusing on public relations can be just as effective - if not more - as well as cost-effective and sometimes even free.

With the use of public relations you're not limited to an ad space as it can reach a larger audience. Another interesting point mentioned earlier is that with ads people tend to have their guard up because they know you're trying to sell them something; with public relations it's usually done by a third party reporting the news, thus exhibiting that someone other than your company believes what you're doing. In addition, through press releases it can strengthen your company's image and credibility naturally with little cost when you report on events such as a staff promotion, a product launch, and participation in a charity or philanthropy. Focusing on public relations can promote your company indirectly yet effectively, and it is these types of news that will have a positive response and also make readers feel less guarded about trying to be sold something.

In one of our previous articles, we mentioned that SEO is something to be aware of, and briefly touched on wanting more "organic" results. Having a good PR strategy in place encourages search engine visibility and more organic results because the content is more "no-nonsense" and less spam-like and advertising to sell to your audience - things that are now being frowned upon by major search engines.

So if you don't already, considering having a good PR campaign in place; it boosts credibility, is cost-effective, and one of the most important areas to further encompass your overall marketing plan.