Publicity is one of the least understood avenues of marketing. It isn’t hard to see why so many people are confused by it – publicity is something you can’t really generate directly. You can’t just go out and buy advertising space for publicity, and it is hard to quantify its results as well. If you don’t really understand publicity, then here are some things to know:
How its different from marketing
It’s hard to see the difference between marketing and publicity – it is, after all, a way to advertise things. The main difference between the two boils down to money. Marketing is paying a publication for space to advertise while PR is often referred to as “merit-based” placement, and is when a publication wants to cover you because of the newsworthiness of your story.
Who generates the publicity
Publicity is generated through contacting the right people in the news and media industry. You can generate publicity through controversy as well but having the right links is necessary if you really want to drive the conversation.
How Is Publicity Measured
Publicity can be quantified to an extent through metrics. Thanks to the internet it is easier to count how much publicity you are generating. You can set a Google alert which will keep searching and alert you to any time your news appears in the media. Publicity can be cumulative as long as you continue to generate new content and keep your name in the news.
Does it relate directly to sales?
The reality is that publicity (especially when it comes to artistic endeavors) can result in a whole lot more sales than marketing ever could. Track your publicity funding and link it directly to sales. And always remember that your PR campaign today can always benefit your future endeavors.
How it links to social media
Social media is fantastic for publicity because you can track the number of mentions you get online to how your publicity campaign is going. Publicity should result in a lot of organic social media mentions. You can also drive the conversation by engaging your social media followers with posts about new coverage.
What does a Publicist do all day?
Publicists all over the world know the pain of not being appreciated. The fact that other people don’t understand the job is hard enough, the fact that much of publicity doesn’t look like work makes it even worse. A lunch meeting is, for a PR professional, much more than just fighting hunger, it’s often an opportunity to maintain industry connections. And that’s in addition to all the other communication that a publicist makes in a day in the form of emails, social media posts, and good old-fashioned phone calls.
