When considering the best marketing strategies for your business, advertising will almost certainly crop up as an option.
Advertising works better for some businesses than others, but as a public relations practitioner I tend to advise my clients to use advertising sparingly.
Using PR to get your message across can be much more effective in terms of cost, but also as a branding tool. Think about this question: what do you believe more – an ad you see or hear, magazine, or the bylined article or news piece next to the ad written or spoken by one a journalist?
Sending the information to key journalists in the media sector your customers read, watch and view adds legitimacy to your product or service.
Consumers will usually believe a third party’s endorsement of your product or service, before an ad. The down side of this relationship is that the journalist can choose to use as much or as little of the information as you send, and in whichever way they want.
You might be one of several similar businesses profiled in the same article, or you might hit the jackpot and have the whole article or piece devoted to your business.
If you don’t want to leave your marketing message to chance you can always book an advertisement and ask for editorial space in return – an advertorial. Most media outlets have an advertorial policy. They support advertisers with newsworthy information, such as a new company or new product information.
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