Businesses have always been aiming for one goal, and that’s to increase profits. However, for that to take place, they’d first need to reach their audience. How did they do that? Well, there are a lot of methods.
Nowadays, most of us spend our free time browsing through different media platforms. And with that, entrepreneurs saw it as a way of connecting to the public. But of course, it wasn’t like that at first.
Rise Of Media
The word “media” came into the picture during the early 20th century. But its history goes way back to the emergence of the hand press. Ever since then, the media has constantly been evolving in various forms. From newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and eventually, the internet.
The public was suddenly becoming more involved in different cultural and political movements. This is because everyone started having access to daily information. Not only that, but it also served as a form of entertainment. With the many shows and movies that emerged, it allowed one to sort of escape reality even for a little while.
Over the years, many sectors have noticed the power that this medium has. So, they decided to use this to influence the way of thinking of the people—one of these being the business industry.
Advertising
Entrepreneurs aim to inform the public of their product or service. With that, they capitalized on the potential of media in the form of advertising. Not everyone was aware of it, but advertising was already present way back in the day.
Word-of-mouth was already a means of spreading information. If one happened to try out a great product from a certain shop, they would tell someone about it. And in that way, the business was already gaining exposure without them even trying. And the best part, it was free.
Advertising, at present, requires payment before appearing in any form of media. A simple promotion in a newspaper would already cost a huge amount of money. Companies pay thousands of dollars per minute for the television ads we see during commercials. Whenever we’re stuck in traffic, we’d also see various billboards on major highways. And you’d hear radio jocks mention brands before, during, and after every show as well.
But one brand’s promotion isn’t the same for all these platforms. Each medium has a unique way of presenting information to the public.
This is why every business has to have a great agency to back them up. Usually, you can count on content marketing companies for that specific task. They’d be the ones responsible for assessing the target audience and forming strategies. Here, they’ll be able to determine which platform suits the brand most. Afterward, they’ll also be executing said strategies.
Public Relations
Advertising isn’t the only way of catching the attention of the majority. Public Relations is what one would consider as earned media. Here, similar to word-of-mouth, you’ll get the exposure that you need without even paying for it. However, it’s not as easy as it sounds.
In advertising, you get to have complete control over the content you choose to showcase. But in Public Relations, the media has the upper hand. This is why making a great impression on reporters and journalists is a must for every business.
This has a good side to it, though, since the people might consider it more credible. You don’t pay for what they read. Rather, it comes from another person’s point of view. By getting quoted on reputable websites and magazines alone, it could already benefit your business.
But one shouldn’t rely on Public Relations alone since anyone can easily alter a story. And knowing that you don’t have a say in the final output, what the public sees may not be what you intended to show. This is why it’s important to have a reliable publicity team as well.
One would refer to them as the narrators of the company. They’d focus on the great aspects of the business and convert it into a story for the public. And whenever things go haywire, they’ll also be the ones to alleviate the damage.
They Go Hand In Hand
In our world today, media continues to be a crucial component, particularly in the business industry. It’s responsible for shaping society’s views, both good and bad.
It won’t matter whether you’re a start-up or a well-known company. Earning the public’s attention and trust is an ongoing process. Advertising and Public Relations will always go hand in hand. Whether one chooses to engage in the former alone, the latter will always be lurking. So, it’s up to entrepreneurs to make use of it wisely.
