Publicity can be a vastly better value than traditional advertising. Years ago after we arranged for a client’s story to run in the Wall Street Journal, we called the publication to ask what the equivalent amount of ad space would cost. The shocking price was around $180,000. I remember thinking, “That’s the cost of a house!” Our fee then for arranging that article was less than $10,000. Not only was the publicity we arranged more engaging than an ad, it was a fraction of the price.
To accurately compare the value of publicity versus ads, you also need to factor in the intangibles. When you run a paid ad, your audiences know they are seeing a sales pitch. Space is usually tight so you must use a minimum number of words, and hope they are powerful enough to be memorable and convincing.
But with publicity, you have a credible third party (the reporter, anchor, radio host) giving a longer, more in-depth explanation of your product’s benefits. Over the years, we’ve gotten really good at telling our clients’ stories by working with reporters and editors who ultimately include our clients’ company or product in their publications and shows.
We deliver TV, newspaper, radio and online media placements that give our clients bragging rights. They repost them on their websites; they send them to customers, prospects and investors; they display framed copies on their walls; and they use them to motivate and congratulate their employees.
With enough budget, you can pay to run an ad just about anywhere. On the other hand, with that same budget you can secure a lot more media placements. Not everyone can be featured in the news, it is tough to meet the media’s standards. That’s why we’re very proud of the fact that every week we have media stories running about our clients.
Think about reallocating the money you’re spending on a poorly performing marketing tactic to getting more publicity. If you want to make better use of your 2015 budget, call me at 952-697-5269 or complete the form below. When you call, I’ll give you a free Mediagenic Analysis, including advice for getting more media coverage. I not only oversee our current publicists, I started out as one years ago. I can determine fairly quickly what I think the story angle should be and how many reporters and producers would be willing to run your story. Imagine at the end of this year saying, “We sure had a lot of good media coverage this year.” I can make that happen for you.
