So, What Is PR Anyhow?

Public relations (PR) is one of those things that’s often shrouded in mystery — and misinterpretation. Depending on who you ask, you’ll probably get a different definition every time. I’ve been in this business for over 25 years, and I have seen a zillion different ways of describing it. 

So let’s start with something official.
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) defines public relations as:

“A strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”

In other words, PR is about managing your reputation and how people see, think, and talk about your business.

Those “publics” could be your customers, employees, investors, community members, or anyone else whose opinion you are actively trying to influence.

Wait, How is PR Different From Advertising?

Ah, the age-old question and probably the first area where people get confused. (I’m looking at you, mom!) 

Here’s the difference in plain English:

• Advertising (also known as “paid media”) is when you tell people what you want them to know about your company or product — and you pay for that privilege. You control the message because you bought the space somewhere: perhaps a print ad, a Facebook campaign, a TV or radio spot, or a sponsored post. Advertising generally means that money exchanged hands.
  
• Public Relations is meant to encompass a broader range of functions designed to shape public opinion about your company…generally without money exchanging hands. Media relations (also known as “earned media”) is often considered the cornerstone of public relations, and is what most people think of when they think of PR. But it can also include other disciplines such as corporate and internal communications, crisis management, events, content creation, influencer relations, and more. Most PR activity is designed to influence the message and shape public perception of your brand, but you don’t control the message as you do with advertising. 

Here’s one way to think of it:

💬 Advertising is what you say about yourself. PR is what others say about you.

…and generally speaking, what others say about you holds a lot more weight than what you say about yourself. 

OK Then, So What is Media Relations?

Media relations is the process of pitching and building relationships with journalists and members of the media in order to secure (hopefully positive!) “earned” media coverage about your brand, your company or yourself. Were you quoted as an industry expert in an article, or was the product you created featured on your local morning show? That’s media relations in action….you were mentioned in a story, and you didn’t have to pay for it! You “earned” that coverage because you had something valuable to offer to the writer or producer of the story.  

And these days, the “media” isn’t just newspapers and television shows. It could include blogs, podcasts, email newsletters and more. Think of it as earning a place on Other People’s Properties or Platforms. Or as I like to call it, OPP for short.

 “You down with OPP? Yeah, you know me!”

When your story appears somewhere other than a place you control, like your own website or social feed, that’s PR in action.

(Note: That is not to say that social media and your “owned” media channels, like your website, don’t have a place in PR…they do. But we’ll get into that later!) 

What PR and Earned Media Look Like in Practice

Here are a few of the more common ways businesses “do” PR:

✅ Getting featured as an industry expert in a news story
🎙️ Being a guest on a podcast or TV interview
📝 Writing guest articles or blog posts for other media outlets
📣 Sharing company news through press releases or media outreach
🎉 Hosting an event or creating a stunt that grabs media attention
🤝 Partnering with an influencer who mentions your product or service
🎤 Speaking at an industry conference

These are all tactics that help you earn attention, credibility, and trust.

The Bottom Line

At its core, PR is about visibility, trust, and credibility.
It helps more people discover your business — and believe in it.

Whether you’re a solopreneur or a growing small business, PR isn’t just for the “big guys.”
It’s actually one of the most effective and low-cost ways to build visibility and get others talking positively about what you do.

I Hope This Helps!

Because once you understand what PR really is, you can start using it to grow your business the smart (and authentic) way.