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Free Publicity & Other Fairy Tales

Written by: Anthony Mora

Article Overview: There are loads of references to “free PR” or “free publicity” on the internet. It sounds great. Who wouldn’t want free PR? But if you keep reading you’ll find that 99.9% of the time, these are companies that are selling you ways to get free PR. So, is it still free after you’ve paid for it?

Free Publicity & Other Fairy Tales

Take a journey through PR or public relations listings on the internet and you will come across loads of links, including articles about and references to “free PR” or “free publicity.”It sounds great.Who wouldn’t want free PR?But if you keep reading you’ll find that 99.9% of the time, these are companies that are selling you ways to get free PR.So, is it still free after you’ve paid for it?As with anything else in life, if it sounds too good to be true…

Sure there are times when media coverage comes at no cost, but those are the times that the press seeks you out.A writer or editor came across your company or your site, thought it was perfect for a story he or she is working on and suddenly out of the blue, you get a call and the next thing you know, you’re in the media.That is a case of having the right business and being at the right place at the right time; all the stars aligned and lady luck smiled on you.

But, if you’re actively looking to garner media coverage (which if you are a savvy entrepreneur or business owner you should be) PR is not free.Whether you write a release and pitch the media yourself, hire a consultant to help you develop pitches and story angles, or hire a Public Relations firm to launch a full-scale campaign, you are either going to be spending time or money, generally both, in order to land media coverage.

The bottom line is PR shouldn’t be free, not if it’s done correctly.Just as advertising, direct marketing, or online marketing costs, so does effective PR.And if you are going to launch an effective public relations campaign, do it right.Either hire a PR firm, or find a consultant to walk you through the process.Learn how to develop story ideas, write press releases, develop targeted media lists, make media follow-up calls, utilize your press to garner more media coverage, etc.PR is a skill.Done well, Public Relations is the only form of marketing that can reach your target market, establish you as an expert in your field and offer you the credibility and validation of being the news.It is the best branding tool available.It is generally less expensive than advertising and offers more credibility.But, as with anything else in life, when it comes to PR, you get what you pay for.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2009

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Article Tags: busin, free pr, free publicity, journey, lady luck, media coverage, nbsp, out of the blue, public relations listings, right place at the right time, savvy entrepreneur, span style, style color, style font



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