Why PR does not mean no more advertising...
I have worked with hundreds of businesses over the years and yet am still surprised when well seasoned business people think that advertising cancels the need for any other type of marketing activity or the use of PR means that they will never again have to spend money on advertising or other forms of marketing. This of course, is not the case. PR is most effective when used alongside other elements of the marketing mix, be that advertising, competitions, sponsorship, special offers or endorsements. PR is not a fix all but when used correctly it can cover a lot of bases. It is fair to say that PR can go a long way on its own in the short term to publicise a smaller scale event, new product offering or launch but in the long-term it should be used alongside the aforementioned techniques to really make a powerful impact.
Just because you engage a PR company does not mean that this ends your days of ad placement or other paid promotion. Instead, advertising or other promotional activity, when used with PR reinforces your brand's message and makes it more memorable which in turn makes your advertising or other promotional efforts more powerful.
No man is an island and neither is PR. When you want to maximise your brand exposure make sure to do it across a number of outlets and in a number of ways either through social media, digital influencer or celebrity endorsement, sponsorship of an event, direct mail - whatever - don't use any of them on their own. Instead, use each technique to bolster that message that you want to communicate and plan accordingly.
If you're stuck in a rut and need some guidance on the best ways to promote your business feel free to contact me HERE or book a mentoring session where we can go through the best options for your business!