The terms “publicity” and “public relations” are often used interchangeably, however while the two strategies can work in tandem, they are actually very different initiatives.
Publicity is the process of gaining visibility by targeting media coverage or gaining exposure for a brand, product or event that is happening right here, right now. Meanwhile, public relations is a long-term strategic communications discipline focused on managing an organization’s reputation. Stated simply, publicity is the professional equivalent of gaining a date with the most popular girl in school, while public relations will ensure future dates and, if you’re lucky, maybe even a long-term committed relationship.
Publicity, therefore, is a tool that PR professionals utilize, but it is only one of the many tools used to develop a healthy and successful PR campaign. Other aspects of PR include: community outreach; corporate social responsibility programming and sponsorships; government relations; grassroots communications and engagement efforts; and, “public” presentations. In short, a myriad of strategies which position the organization as thought leaders and experts in their respective fields.
And, again, just like scoring that first date, it’s not always that difficult to get publicity – you just have to do something that catches somebody’s attention ie: something that’s interesting to someone — or better yet, everyone — besides yourself, and then you have to make sure that the media knows about it.
Having a permanent PR strategy in place, though, is far more valuable for your business in the long run. You want to nurture lasting relationships by crafting a story — usually through a press release — and you want to use any publicity generated towards promoting a meaningful purpose, whether that be your brand, your product or you.
As a small business owner, you should take these words to heart because leveraging the media to further brand your business in the eyes of the public should be an integral part of your overall marketing plan.