By Samantha Jacobson, Founder of TenXPR
You’ve heard the term before. You know it’s important. But what really is public relations? How does it work? Is it the same thing as media relations? How can you utilize its power in your overarching marketing plans? And is it even worth it? (Quick answer: it most definitely is).
Well, you have a public relations expert here ready to clear the air! As a PR industry veteran and founder of TenXPR, I’ve seen a thing or two, and I’m prepared to answer all of your questions.
Keep reading to find out what public relations really is, how it really works, and how you can harness its power to get people talking about you, your brand, or your product.
What is Public Relations?
Plain and simple, public relations services are generally used when a business or brand needs to make the public aware that they exist. It’s all about bridging the gap between your business or brand and its target demographic, as well as finding and attracting the people who are most likely going to be interested. This requires cultivating a lasting, positive reputation to ensure you are viewed favorably in the public eye. As you can see, the meaning of public relations exists right there in the term – forming positive relationships with the public. But it’s not as simple as it sounds. Don’t worry, more on that later.
Before we move on, many people (even industry experts) think that media relations and public relations are one and the same. I’m here to tell you they are actually quite different! The major difference between the two is that media relations, unlike public relations, generally serves one purpose: to simply convey information to the public about a business or brand to the media. I cover more about public relations vs. media relations in my recent blog post here if you want to learn more.
Types of Public Relations Tactics
Part of understanding how public relations works is learning the types of PR tactics that make it such a successful form of marketing. If you want to attract your target audience and people who are most likely to relate to your business or brand, you have several options.
These are just a handful of tactics that PR agencies use to attract positive awareness: 
- Host various types of events
- Provide media relations services (again, different from public relations!) with tactics such as public service announcements or advertisements via print, radio, or TV
- Provide damage control to a business’s reputation in the event of a crisis, otherwise called “crisis PR”
- Manage digital media marketing
- Manage social media coverage
How To Know If PR Is Right For You.
Now that you have a better idea of what public relations is and the various tactics you can use to create a successful PR campaign, you may be wondering if it makes sense for your business or brand. Here are some bits of expert advice!
Determine The Age And Reputation Of Your Business Or Brand
Businesses or brands that are well-established with a positive reputation may not need to utilize a full-service PR agency. Instead, they may be able to focus their marketing budget solely on promoting new products and sales events, which is where media relations comes in!
Just remember that even if you don’t need the full-time services of a PR agency, you may still need to utilize a professional to help create your content – whether it be video or print media. Why? Viewers will take your business or brand more seriously if you have a high-quality video or well-designed print ad.
Most consumers can tell if something is “homemade”, so try not to skimp when it comes to creating your marketing content!
If Your Business Or Brand Is In Its Beginning Stages Or Needs Damage Control…
Public relations services can be a lifesaving tactic that is well worth the money and hard work. 
When you are just starting out in the public relations world, it can be difficult to bring awareness to your business or brand, especially if other businesses are providing similar products or services. With so much competition, it can be necessary to utilize the services of a PR agency to help build your name and reputation.
Public relations can also be extremely helpful if your business or brand has had any negative press that has hurt its reputation. Public relations experts can really do some magic for your brand or business by creating press releases or promoting events to turn its reputation from a negative one into a positive one!
How Can PR Experts Help?
Public relations experts are responsible for constructing the concept, content, creation, and execution of the story. In other words, they handle every part of the process from beginning to end.
Next Steps
With so many tactics and even more legwork, PR is as time-consuming as it is hugely beneficial for your business or brand. That’s why I wrote up this FREE crash course to help you avoid making cringeworthy PR mistakes and reach success faster than most – whether you’re just dabbling in PR or you’ve been going at it for a while. Try it here: https://go.tenxpr.com/special-offer
