The Public Relations Blog

How does your company use and benefit from earned media

Earned media is organic news coverage your company receives. It’s not paid for like advertising. People often confuse earned media with paid media even though they have two very different meanings. 

The main difference is price. Earned media is not bought; it’s the outcome of having a product or service that other people want to talk about. Paid media, such as advertising, is promoted because you paid someone or a company to do that for you. 

Social media mentions, media coverage, and reviews on your product or service are all examples of earned media used in public relations. Earned media happens naturally, and it’s a result of good PR. 

A great proposal starts with a great RFP

Public relations is critical to the success of a company. Your company’s unique needs are important, and finding a partner provider who can solve your problems is critical. A strong, clear request for proposals is the best way to help providers propose creative, relevant, and cost effective business solutions for you.

The PR Council offers a free RFP guide to help your company build an RFP that brings you proposals. These proposals work to solve your business challenges, not create more problems and a complicated process. We think it’s a good resource, and we wanted to share it with you here. Before you submit a Request for Proposals, make sure you're working with a proper PR agency. 

Crisis PR is key to a great crisis plan, so make sure your insurance helps you pay for it

When your company is in crisis, you’ll take in many sudden expenses that you’ll have to pay for out of pocket. This can strain budgets that used to be open or push your already tight budget to its limits. One of these expenses includes crisis public relations to manage your reputation in such a trying time. Having insurance help pay for crisis PR is a big help, but can insurance do that?

Use these questions to see if you’re working with an ad agency in disguise

You’ve recently started working with a PR agency. Everything looks good; they know what you want and the price is right. However, something seems…off about them now that you’ve established a business relationship. You can’t put your finger on it. They just don’t seem to be the PR firm you were expecting. In fact, they seem to be more of an ad agency. But how can you prove it?

Why is being included in a news story so important for companies?

One reason is because positive news coverage improves your company’s reputation. Another is news stories about your company put it at the forefront of prospective customers’ minds.

As consumers are inundated with options, many may not know about your company and its offerings until they see your company included in a story as a thought leader.

So how do home service companies like plumbers, A/C repair companies, flooring, electricians, pool service providers, home warranty companies, and more get in the news?

In the world of public relations, things are always changing. New trends pop up and disappear every day. Information is constantly shared and as a PR professional, it's imperative to stay aware, act swiftly, and formulate subsequent steps wisely. In an industry that never sleeps, here are five tools every PR practitioner should use to stay ahead. 

The year 2020 started with a focus on the latest public relations trends. Niche targeting, live streaming, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Big Data integrations generated the most buzz, and they continue to do so. Although they haven’t faded in the background, the focus on how to use them has drastically shifted.

Brands have started to actively market to a niche audience through influencers, self-publishing platforms, social media, and informative content. The top players from brands have started to use live streaming to get in front of the audience. 

Artificial Intelligence and big data have become the go-to source for brands to monitor social media platforms, predict consumer needs, and develop targeted content based on causes impacting their audience. Handling it all from behind the curtain is an experienced public relations agency. 

Public relations agencies are well-aware of the changing times and have doubled down on their efforts to point brands in the right direction. We want to highlight how PR has changed in 2020 and what to do about it.

Over the years, I’ve heard many businesspeople say, “I’m not sure what PR is, but I know our company needs it.”

When people think of public relations, they tend to associate it with news coverage. This is what PR pros call “earned media.” The dictionary defines earned media as “publicity gained through promotional efforts other than paid media advertising.”

Explore the benefits of an outside PR agency versus managing an in-house PR department

Admit it. At some point over the years, you’ve received a proposal from a public relations agency and thought, “I can hire someone in-house for that!”

And even if you didn’t think that, someone else in your organization did. I often find this to be the case among junior level staff or even senior staff who don’t have access to the full operating costs of a company. In which case, it’s important to understand the true costs of employment and the value of outsourcing.

This is one story about PR and small businesses. Read How small companies do PR and what big companies can learn from them for more.

Our public relations agency specializes in helping regional and national companies with news, social, and web services to build awareness, consideration, and sales for their companies' experts, products, and services. This includes a special focus on construction, professional services, and consumer services companies as well as franchisors.