If you don’t, find out here and figure out whether you or your company can benefit from it.

I’d own a private jet if I received a dollar every time I watched people pretend to know what public relations really is and how it differs from other forms of marketing. As you read this, you very well know I could be talking about you. Sure you may recognize the term, but could you concisely define or give a definitive example of PR if your life depended on it? Tisk, tisk.

But alas, your friendly neighborhood marketing firm is here to rescue you from that awkward networking moment, where that super energetic PR pro is telling you about their crazy career without you not having a clue on what the hell he or she is talking about.

Also, to all the small to mid-size business owners looking to extend their marketing plan beyond the standard direct mail or social media campaigns, or the marketing directors looking to allocate that extended budget to manage an ongoing crisis, here’s a break down of what GOOD PR is and how it can add value to your company, product, service, or that heavily invested campaign that the big boss doesn’t want to see fail.

What is PR?

I’ll spare you the technical “book” definition which most bloggers typically lead off with, usually adding more mud to an already muddy river. In short and simplistic terms, public relations is the perception of your brand gained by the general public through business related and/or non-business related acts. In even simpler terms, PR consists of what EVERYONE is saying about you, including your public investors, customer base, people who hate you, and people who just heard about your company for the first time 30 minutes ago.

Why is PR important?

Great question! Well you’ve probably heard of this tidal wave of an industry called the media. The media may be the most influential tool of all time. Good PR pros in strong agencies understand the role of building solid relationships with gatekeepers (editors/journalists/bloggers) through pitching newsworthy stories about their clients so they now have relevant and self-serving content to report to their audience. So while the gatekeeper gets an engaging story to report because of the cool idea you pitched about a clients campaign, the PR pro now lands a feature story or mention for their client by a credible writer within an even more credible media outlet, See, everyone wins with good PR!

What or when would I need PR help?

Your questions get smarter by the paragraph! PR serves a variety of needs, which gives the industry its many branches scene below:

– Crisis PR – Handles the most unforeseen disasters. (Pursue only in time of crisis or strong public backlash.)

– Media Relations – Works with media to ensue favorable press coverage. (Pursue for company awareness and exposure, campaign branding, or breaking news.)

– Government Affairs/Relations – Works with policy makers to influence favorable local, state or national policy. (Anytime.)

– Direct Marketing/Newsletter - Keeps customer base in the loop with up-to-date news and information directly into their email inbox. (Anytime)

– Community Relations - Establishes partnerships with key influential members of community for the sake of neighborhood outreach or community awareness. (Implement when hosting community related events within the area.)