Why Care About Public Relations?

Because your customers care. Your competition probably care about it, too.

For companies of any size and most life-stages, public relations is something businesses should not ignore. (For reasons I say most life-stages, check out 4 Reasons Public Relations (Not Advertising) Builds a Brand.)

Public relations can do so much for a company, and yet, like social media, larger companies may see PR as an alternative to what they can already afford in advertising. (It is not an alternative to advertising.) PR is better than advertising. (Yes, I'm probably a bit biased.) It may take a bit more creativity and elbow grease, but the rewards and benefits of PR far outweigh advertising or marketing activities.

The tangible evidence of reduced costs is probably the one most used when trying to create advocates for PR, but there are more, intangible results that a PR team/firm can share with it's company/client. Those are:

1.Increased awareness. (For less money.)


2.Increased trust. (For less money.)


3.Increased loyalty. (For less money.)

I think you get the point. How does PR attain the above? By being the contact person of the company. By being aware of customers online. By being responsive to those customers online. And by being truthful, transparent, and engaging. With things like social media use, press releases, websites, blogs, etc., companies can be more connected with their buyers online, be more personable, and more personified.

As has been said time and time again, PR is more trustworthy than advertising. However, with the changes in technology, companies are more in control of their PR and are able to be more involved in the public relations process. In the past, companies were reliant on the media to cover them in a publication, and that was PR. This sort of PR was more credible than advertising because it was coming from another source.

The same is true today: advertising doesn't instill credibility or trust. In fact, it can often do the opposite. See the comments here about Toyota's attempts to rebuild its brand after their safety fiasco. What was a valiant effort to say "we're making a change" came across as a rather money-wasting endeavor. Had they simply shared with others, done interviews, and communicated with their customers online about this change in spending to increase safety, WOM (word of mouth) may have done more for them than a costly TV ad.

Even though Toyota (and BP) can afford advertisements, showing us the difference in ways other than a TV ad (like through PR) can be much more successful, and much more trustworthy. (BP's ads don't make me trust them more; it makes me wonder, "why tell me you're doing something, instead of simply doing it?")

As can be seen above, public relations today involves more things than simply getting mentioned in a publication. It involves social media, where a company can represent itself and be its own identity there. Companies can also have a blog, where they write about their company, their industry, etc., and try to set themselves apart from the crowd as a trusted source of information. This is also referred to as the process of positioning oneself as an authoritative figure. Over time, if you write on a subject, share information, or offer advice, people being to trust you and see you as a knowledgeable, go-to source.

Take this blog, for example. I often get emails asking for advice because of the success I've had in PR. I have little experience in PR, but my knowledge base is rather large due to the fact that I've been writing on the subject for so long. Surprised? Don't be. I don't pretend to be a PR expert with years and years of experience, but I do accept my role as a source of PR information.

So, as a company looking to increase followings, entice buyers to switch to your brand or become a loyal customer, or to simply share what you have to say, know that PR can be a great outlet because of the many, many places you can talk, communicate, and converse.

What's your take? Why care about PR if you can afford advertising?

PR Specialist: One of the 50 Best Careers of 2010!

According to US News & World Report, the Public Relations Specialist is one of the 50 best jobs of 2010. (Awesome!) They gave a great run down of a "day in the life" of a PR specialist, and perhaps the one who is scrutinized and watched most: Robert Gibbs, Barack Obama's press secretary. Here is what they descried as a day in the life of Gibbs and what can be required for a professional looking to become a public relations specialist:

Gibbs spends hours reading, studying, and querying other White House officials and administration advisers so he can answer questions accurately, both in the facts relayed and in message. While Gibbs is at the highest level of his profession, as a PR specialist, much of your job will be a similar juggle of facts and message. You might spend your day drafting a press release, responding to a reporter's question, helping craft a PR strategy for an upcoming round of company layoffs, or running interference at a conference. This is one job that demands confidence for success, and an extroverted personality doesn't hurt. (U.S. News)

This article also goes into details about the PR Specialist specifics, some I've listed here on the blog before. It talks about the outlook for PR Specialists, moving up the ladder, stress levels, activities a PR Specialist might partake in, as well as education and monetary information.

Here are some summaries:

•It's looking good: Employment of PR Specialists is expected to increase by more than 66,000 jobs between 2008 and 2018.

•Moving up in the company as a PR specialist is pretty traditional: work hard, and you'll move up

•Activities of a PR specialist can vary from desk work to working in the field all day.

•With deadlines and unexpected questions thrown your way, life can be stressful as a PR specialist.

•Education can vary as well, but a bachelors is usually required; most PR professionals have a bachelors in journalism, PR, communications, or other related fields.

•Median annual income last year: $51,300.

With the increase in employment, it looks like a good time to be a public relations specialist. A few tips I could offer in the way of stress as a PR specialist: ensure that you are a central person who facilitates everyone being on the same page. This can help reduce the stress of an unexpected question, potential crisis, etc. Getting everyone in the company who may be questioned by the media can make a world of difference. Also, prioritize; writing a press release may be difficult, but as we've all learned in college, the last minute is no time to wait to finish things. As with any profession, set deadlines for yourself that take into consideration the other people you will have to rely on, as well as the other deadlines you may have.
Overall, PR Specialists seem to be doing well. For other information on the other 49 best careers of 2010, check out US News' article here. That list includes other business careers such as a meeting planner, logistician, cost estimator, accountant, and market research analyst.

public relations blogger