Free advertising

No matter how many times I correct them, many people think that PR is all about free advertising.

I can see their point. Getting an article printed in newspapers, on websites or broadcast can effectively seem like advertising. It can also be a very cost-effective method of publicising a business, service or product. But it isn't free (well we've all got to put a roof over our heads and food on the table) and it's not strictly speaking advertising.

You see, a journalist is not particularly interested in promoting your business, service or product. Why should they? They didn't spend three years in college and two years as a junior to write promotional copy or they would have been on the marketing course.

Journalists want a story. They want something that is going to engage, entertain or interest their readers (a lot of the time they would like it to be exclusive as well).

A PR consultant's job is to ferret out the story in their client's business and portray it an engaging enough way that a journalist can see how it might appeal to a reader.
 With an advert you buy the space and say what goes in it. But customers know that.

The real advantage of the PR route is in the perceived added value of editorial. Not free, not advertising, but yes, fantastic value!