When it comes to public relations, anyone will quickly learn that one type of message does not work for everyone. Customers, shareholders, government, and the general public all demand different messages, and this means you need different types of public relations. 

While we tend to put public relations into one category, the process of public relations is actually much more complicated. When you need to influence public opinion, you will need a certain type of message that can reach a broad and large audience. Shareholders have different concerns, and that means public relations needs to be focused on those concerns. 

Different types of public relations serve different ends. The public relations department in a large organization may be one entity, but the work of this department generates different types of public relations.  The bottom line is that in order to achieve the goals of public relations you will need different types of public relations. 

What are public relations? What are the different types of public relations? And how can you make public relations work for your business? This guide will walk you through the different types of public relations and how public relations help achieve your business goals. 

What are Public Relations?

Public relations consist of strategic communication processes that build relationships between organizations and different types of publics. Public relations involves engagement with various public groups toward a better understanding of what an organization values and what that organization actually does. 

The basic elements of public relations are influencing, engaging, and building relationships with groups like stakeholders, the general public, and governmental bodies. The processes of public relations include:

Anticipating, analyzing, and interpreting public opinion, attitudes, and issues that may be of concern for the organization. 

Counseling and management of policy toward specific issues, including things like direct action and communications.  

Protecting the reputation of the organization. 

Research and evaluations of ongoing issues and ideas that impact an organization’s relationship with different publics. 

Planning and implementing strategies that influence or change public policy. 

Setting objectives to engage customers.

Since all of these objectives demand different types of research, analysis, and action, public relations consist of multiple forms of action.

Types Of Public Relations

Since each form of the public requires messages that address their needs and concerns, public relations work in different ways. The various types of public relations include:

Media Relations

Media relations involve gaining attention from journalists, broadcasters, bloggers, and other types of media. This type of public relations is primarily to serve the interests of stakeholders since these are the people most concerned with an organization’s image in the media. 

Media relations require that a company or organization directly engage the various media outlets with a message that is both useful and credible. The goal is to influence the media and generate a positive public image in these media toward specific ends. 

Investor Relations

Investor relations entail the messaging toward investors, shareholders, government authorities, and the general financial community. Investor relations need to be tightly coordinated with areas like the accounting and legal departments, and top executives such as the CEO, CFO, and COO. Investor relations are more bound by legal regulations due to the financial stakes involved. The main purpose of investor relations is to ensure that a company’s stock is traded fairly and to make sure that the financial stability of a company is made known. 

Government Relations

Government relations are focused on managing the relationships with the various types of governmental publics. This type of public relations is focused on influencing legislators, interest groups, and the media that report on issues that pertain to the government. Government relations are often concerned with things like lobbying efforts, governmental regulation of industry-related issues, health concerns, and environmental issues. Government relations often seek to influence governmental policy and regulation. 

Community Relations

Community relations work to build a positive relationship with local communities and organizations. The goal of community relations is to make sure the community sees an organization’s purpose and goals are aligned with the values of a given community. 

Community relations are primarily concerned with building a positive image for a company within the community and to assure communities that a company or organization works in the interests of that community. Community relations will work with the local media, social media, and public interest groups that represent various components of a community. 

Internal Relations

Internal relations are primarily aimed at employees. These kinds of communications are meant to keep employees abreast of new policies and new directions for the company that will impact them and how they work. Internal communications are also a way for companies and organizations to remain transparent to those within the organization as to how developments in the market, public policy, and the law may affect their lives at work.

Customer Relations

Customer public relations are aimed at the ways companies communicate with current and potential customers. This type of public relations is designed to generate positive attitudes toward products, services, and the company in general. 

Marketing Communications

Marketing relations are those forms of communication directly involved in promoting a product or service. When your company needs to get a message out through the media, whether this is sponsored or through other forms of social media promotion, you will employ forms of marketing communications.  

Marketing communications often focus on influencing public perception of a product or service. While advertising will promote a product or service, marketing communications tend to craft messages that influence attitudes and perceptions of a product or service.

Benefits of Public Relations

There are sound reasons why companies and organizations have entire departments devoted to public relations. Not only are there multiple kinds of public relations, but the benefits of a sound public relations strategy cannot be stressed enough. Some of the benefits of public relations include:

Increase the visibility of your brand: Publicity and public relations increase the credibility of what you do and who you are. Public relations make your brand and the voice attached to your brand more authentic and authoritative. By increasing the reach of messages that accentuate the reputation of your brand along with direct marketing, you increase the visibility of your brand.  

Lock into and attract your target market: Public relations can make it much easier to attract your target audience. Things like well-placed articles written by a professional writer can elevate your visibility and lock into the market you want to attract. Placing communications in the right places is one of the main objectives of public relations. And this is the kind of communication that attracts a target market. 

Added value to your product or service: By promoting your product or service in the correct ways, the value of your product can increase. Once a public buzz has been created around your product or service, the demand for your product increases, and this means increased value for your product or service. Public relations is in many ways all about solidifying the reputation of your brand. Once your brand reputation has been properly established, the value of your brand grows.  

Generate leads for long-term and short-term goals: Things like media placements and blog articles can push your company in ways that make it possible for you to respond with both short and long-term goals. Things like product development can come out of the general public response to your media presence. 

Build brand image: There is no better way to build your brand image than good public relations in all its forms. While marketing and product placement will drive sales if done properly, public relations is the only real way to build a brand image. 

The various kinds of public relations, areas such as customer relations and media relations, will formulate strategies and implement strategies that are all about creating a reputation for your brand and your company. Brand image is what goes beyond any single product or service. Public relations is the way you show customers and investors that your brand is a worthy and trusted product or service. 

Pros and Cons of Public Relations

Public relations can present complications for any business. While businesses have found that public relations are an indispensable part of their strategies, there are things to consider. The pros and cons of public relations include: 

Pros:

Exposure: Few things provide exposure for your company and brand like a well-planned and formulated public relations campaign. Public relations elevates your visibility well beyond anything you can achieve with marketing alone. 

Distribution: Marketing strategies will only go as far as you pay them to go. Public relations can distribute your message far beyond the initial goal. There is a real possibility that any public relations strategy will get picked up by the media beyond your immediate reach. 

Cost effective: Compared to most other forms of media and public messaging, public relations gains more exposure and converts more sales than any other strategy. Marketing works, but you only get what you are willing to pay for. Public relations, on the other hand, has the potential to reach far beyond your initial marketing range by insinuating your message into the media. 

Cons:

Lack of control: Since public relations rely on other media like news, social media, and print, you cannot control how the message will be distributed or how people will respond. 

Risk of not getting anticipated exposure: Any public relations strategy runs the risk of being ignored by major media. Editors and communications people can simply refuse to promote your message. 

Unpredictable conditions: There is always the risk that your public relations campaign can be bumped from the media by other events. Things like major news events can drown out your message and public relations strategies.  

Public Relations FAQS

What are Public Relations? Public relations consist of strategic communication processes that build relationships between organizations and different types of publics. Public relations involves engagement with various public groups toward a better understanding of what an organization values and what that organization actually does. 

What are the different types of public relations? Media Relations, Investor Relations. Government Relations, Community Relations, Internal Relations, Customer Relations, Marketing Communications. 

What are some of the benefits of public relations? Boosts visibility, increases sales, adds value to your product or service and increases trust in your brand.  

Are there disadvantages of public relations? You cannot control how your public relations campaign will be received by the media and the public. It is also possible that your message can be drowned out by other events such as breaking news that takes over the public attention. 

Public relations is crucial for success in today’s market. It simply is not enough to devise a strategy that will gain public attention. You also need a sound set of strategies to maintain the image of your company and to help that image grow. Public relations not only build your public profile, but it also sustains that profile in the most beneficial and far-reaching ways. 

As you can see from this guide, there is a lot to effective public relations. To get the most out of public relations, you can leave things to professionals who are knowledgeable and will invest themselves in the success of your company. HeyDay Marketing Services provides public relations services that will help your business grow. HeyDay Marketing can address all the various types of public relations in ways that serve your business needs. 

HeyDay Marketing Services can build a public relations campaign that will position your brand as a leader in your industry and create a positive image for your business in the media. We can help you build community relations that will suture your company in a local community. 

HeyDay Marketing Services offers several packages for you to find the public relations campaign that works for your company. We understand that one size does not fit all. For sound public relations strategies that work, allow HeyDay Marketing Services to take over the public relations for your business.