Lakeland public relations is not paid, unlike advertisements. That is the primary difference between these two. Although the end-goal is the same—promote a business, build a positive relationship for a client, and manage a PR crisis for an individual or a company—the methods used to arrive to that conclusion are completely different. Public relations will not use money or favors to get a space on the newspaper or a television show. What PR does is to build a communication strategy that would persuade journalists this issue must be talked and written about.
Sure, PR firms also charge hundreds of dollars to handle a PR job, but that’s nothing compared to the amount of money advertising agencies ask in order to create a commercial that would run a month or two on social media, print, and the broadcast media.
Paid versus earned
This is where PR firms are always clear: they build their influence through earned, not paid, trust. If journalists pick up a press released they did, it is because these journalists believe on what that particular PR agency did and what it is trying to do for its clients. Advertising, on the other hand, uses money, an inconceivable amount of it, in order to buy favors and space on various traditional and new media platforms.
Builds exposure versus builds trust
What advertisements will give your company is exposure. Whether it’s on social media or the traditional media, you’re going to be noticed. The questions are, however, will clients click on that link, read the article, or watch the commercial? And even if they do, will they be persuaded enough to purchase a product, subscribe to an idea, support a campaign, and recognize achievements? What PR firms do is to build trust, so that it is easier for the public to believe an idea that an organization espouses or buy a product that a company makes. PR firms use this trust it built in the community to push an idea, a product, and a service.
Skeptic audience versus media validation
The thing with advertisements is that the audience is always skeptical of the information it receives from commercials, billboards, and other advertising strategies. On the other hand, media itself will validate the information culled from PR firms, especially when it comes to building the reputation of a public official or a celebrity. The amount of PR strategies used in these cases will persuade the media to validate the information and enhance the strategies.
