What We Know

We are living in a loud world – everyone wants to be heard.

Companies and brands are investing more dollars and time into outreach than ever before.

At the Strategic PR panel at General Assembly Atlanta, there was a lot of discussion about media and public relations and it was used interchangeably. But, the truth is that public relations is not just media relations – it is more than media relations.

In fact, today, public relations has gone back to its roots – the public. Thanks to social media and the Internet, consumers now run companies and their brand strategies. We have all become influencers, critics and experts – and brands are taking notice.

Also Read: Do the Math: Internal Staff vs. Agency

Media relations is always going to be an integral part of a great public relations campaign – how a company develops relationships and works with journalists is always going to be strong suit in how its gets its name out to the masses.

But while we mix and mingle with journalists, write and send the perfect pitch - a successful, effective public relations strategy needs to include at least one of the following (if not all):

• Blogging
• Social Media Marketing
• Email Marketing
• Event Planning and Management
• Thought Leadership
• Media Relations

We have got to move past the idea that just media coverage is the ticket to brand success. Think about your outreach campaigns and how your brand is reaching your target audiences and, most importantly, how it’s relating to the public.