Public relations or advertising - which is better for your business?

Tuesday evening, I took a few minutes of my favorite TV show - The Big Idea. Hosted by Donny Deutsch, a longtime advertising executive, The Big Idea is an excellent source for advice daily from a wide range of entrepreneurs.

Tuesday's topic was how to make your company a household name. Included in the panel were professional public relations and advertising.

Donny is always eager to create some 'controversy (one of the reasons why the show is so funny), so I was not surprised when he presented the following question to his guests:

If you are an entrepreneur with a limited budget and you can choose to focus on one area, which focuses on advertising and public relations?

Without hesitation, I blurted out my answer.

This question to a random set of entrepreneurs and it is likely that many will tell you there is little difference between the two. But the truth is that these industries are completely different, especially when it comes to printing.

While it may require payment for space in a publication, effective public relations results in free exposure (assuming you do not take an agency) for your product or service.

What's more, readers realize that you're trying to sell them something when information is presented in an advertisement. As a result, they are naturally cautious. With public relations, third approval is obtained from the media - a factor that increases your credibility.

One problem some people have of public relations is that it has limited control over how the media portrays your company, but I think it is a risk worth.

If you've read this far, my answer to Donny is pretty obvious. But there is a big reason why I believe in public relations ... and has the potential to impact your business on a large scale.

You can multiply your message with public relations.

Here's what I mean: when or present your product / service is mentioned in some type of media, there is a strong possibility it will be seen by more news audience just published.

Most of the media these days have an online presence. Thanks to social bookmarking sites like Digg, StumbleUpon and Reddit, the information - including newspaper articles - has shared more than any other time in history. Regardless of industry, social media, makes it possible for you to reach a global audience, without spending a lot of money.

Moreover, the popularity of blogs has turned anyone with Internet access and an opinion is a reporter. Underestimating the power of advertising blogging community is a huge mistake.

And, remember, writers and editors do not just read their publications. Fresh news from many sources, including publications competitors. This is one reason why sometimes see similar features in several publications.

So now you know that public relations is an effective tool for your company, how do you use?

As a regular contributor to several publications, here are my suggestions:

Ø Find out which writers cover your industry. This is a straightforward task as the study of literature that they want to cover and look to see who writes about topics related to your field.

Or volunteer yourself as a source. As a writer, not easy to find qualified sources for articles. Once you learn the writers who cover your area, contact them and offer to answer questions for future articles.

or request editorial calendars. Most trade journals to determine the themes for future issues months in advance. Editorial calendars are a great way to discover the topics scheduled so you can offer your knowledge or, in some cases, submit your article.

o Send press releases. I do not think enough businesses to send press releases. Important events happen all the time. You just might not realize because you're too close to the daily operations. Start asking yourself the following question: what would the interest of someone we are doing today, outside of our company?

Pitch or article ideas to writers / editors. This is a challenging task for many people, but worth the effort. When pitch an idea, take the writer / publisher careful 's with the description because the topic is unique. It also explains why it will benefit readers of the publication .......