There is an old saying: “Advertising is what you pay for; publicity is what you pray for.”
In 2012, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) defined public relations as follows: “Public Relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually benefits relations between organisations and their publics.”
Why pray? Because “publicity” in traditional media or through digital or social media is free, and has the advantage of being a third party, independent opinion or view of the positive side of your business. It is also called “earned” media. Earned media, or earned content, is any material written about you or your business that you haven’t paid for or created yourself. Although this type of media is always published by a third party, there are ways marketers can position themselves for earned media opportunities – that is the strategic communication process designed to build relationships.