Many small business owners are not clear on the differences between Marketing, PR (Public Relations) and Advertising. All three are a form of promotion but they are completely different and will achieve different things, in different ways.

Since we provide PR services through Noisette Marketing, I wanted to try and clarify PR for those of you considering how it might help your business.

So what is PR?

Firstly, PR is not the same as advertising. With advertising you pay for space in a magazine, a blog or directory for example with the hope that someone (or lots of someone’s)  will follow through to your website/shop/blog to buy your products. Most forms of PR are in contrast, free. It costs nothing but your time and can have great results if done correctly.

PR is all about raising awareness of your brand. Without it no-one will know your business exists. PR puts your business in front of the people you want to know about you, for free. There are a number of ways to do this including pitching to blogs and magazines, writing guest blog posts, blogging and using social media. TV, podcasts and radio spots can also provide excellent opportunities for exposure. Local radio particularly has a whole range of different programmes that businesses could be featured in. All of these things allow you to reach people and influence perceptions of your brand. It may or may not increase sales immediately. It is a long term strategy. You are building relationships and laying the groundwork so that when someone wants your product, they remember you.

PR can be beneficial to your business in because consumers want to know who they are buying from. A combination of public relations and social media can help position you in the market, connect with your target audience and  build trust. Being seen on the best blogs and magazines for your industry can not only in time increase sales but can also get you noticed amongst industry insiders who which can provide exciting opportunities and collaborations.

PR has similar benefits to word of mouth but on a larger scale. Instead of a handful of friends telling friends about a business, you have respected bloggers, magazine editors and journalists telling their readers how great you are. You just can’t beat that kind of coverage.