Publicity is a catch phrase for many types of marketing techniques. It is different from Advertising. Many publicity techniques are free, but require time and hard work. And, as I have found, some publicity that does cost money (such as doing press releases) can be some of the cheapest overall marketing you could possibly do. Seriously, if you look at any kind of advertising, you could easily spend thousands of dollars. A local business magazine with local circulation could charge $1500 or more per 1/4 inch ads. OR MORE. Google ads start at 5 cents but if you really want traffic, you have to have a competitive bid which could amount to $10 a click. This can add up. A press release through PRWeb starts at $80 and is extremely efficient at bringing one-way links back to your site, while also allowing you to write significant content and information about your company. A 1/4 page ad gives you only enough room to put the name of the company and highlight your business in a catch phrase or a list of services you provide. You could do nearly 10 press releases for the price of a single advertisement.
Publicity as a whole is a much lower cost way to bring in business over advertising. Publicity involves Websites, writing articles, giving speeches, participating in panel events, and volunteering your services to others. It also involves speaking to and getting on various lists as an expert. Writing a Book can both establish your credibility as an expert while at the same time providing significant Publicity for your core business.
