We are regularly asked: “Why should I invest in PR if I'm already advertising with the most important media for us?” A good question, of course. Because through ads, you buy visibility among the target group that is relevant to you. Nevertheless, it is good to make PR activities a priority.
Are you wondering when to use PR or ads for your organization? And what to look for when choosing the two options? Then read on!
Before we get started, it's essential to know the difference between public relations and advertising.
Public relations (in other words: pr) is about how you disseminate the knowledge that is present in your organization. Think radio, television (news and talk shows) and news articles in national and regional media. Pr helps you shape the public perception of your organization based on free publicity. So you don't pay for this.
Advertising, on the other hand, is about media purchasing. By using media purchasing, you ensure that your organization is immediately visible to the target group. You buy your visibility. In addition, you decide what the message will look like and who you want to reach with it. That's why you're at the helm when it comes to advertising.
But when do you use advertising and when do you use PR? I'll describe the differences so that you can make an informed choice for your organization.
First of all, it's important to find out exactly what you want to achieve. If you want to create a media story or spread more information about your organization to attract more customers, go for advertising. Here, the approach is promotional, but you decide exactly what will be communicated. You are immediately visible to your chosen target group.
Is your goal more focused on credibility, brand awareness and getting a thought leadership position? Then opt for pr. The aim of a pr campaign is to generate more publicity for your organization based on planned activities. By sharing your expertise with the target group on the basis of free publicity, you show that you are a reliable organization. This contributes to your expert status and brand awareness.
The impact of PR is huge. That's because your organization gets independent attention from news media through PR. By using PR, your organization's brand awareness will be much greater. As a result, many potential clients, customers and employees discover your organization.
The impact of advertising is much smaller, because you buy the attention yourself and it is therefore not independent. That doesn't mean it can't be useful, quite the opposite. If you want to tell us exactly what you do, it can be incredibly valuable to promote your product or service to the target group. You share information about, for example, the benefits of your product or service. This information influences the attitude and behavior of customers. Advertising therefore plays an essential role in forming opinions about your product or service.
Ultimately, there is no “better” option. Ideally, you should make use of both options. However, we recommend that you always start with PR. Build your organization's reputation first. Think about what you have to say and try to share your organization's unique insights. Make sure that the focus is on sharing knowledge.
Then use advertising to repeat your message and to communicate exactly what you want to say to the target group. You are then not bound to the journalist's requirements. You decide what the message will look like, who you want to reach with it and when you want to do it.
