Is the Saying ‘All Publicity Is Good Publicity’ Still True in Today’s Media Landscape?

By Rob Pene

We all know the saying "All publicity is good publicity." It's usually said in response to someone getting media attention they don't want. We also hear "All press is good press," which means any coverage of your company or brand, no matter how bad it might be, will still generate interest and awareness. There are many factors to consider in the world of publicity, but does it equate to growth and impact?

There’s a lot of talk lately about the effects of fake news on social media and its subsequent impact on society as a whole. However, this post isn't about fake news; rather, we're going to focus on unpacking publicity and how it can help or harm your company's reputation.

What is a publicity campaign?

Let’s start by ‏defining‏ ‏a publicity campaign as “an effort to convey information to the public.” Additionally, it is important to note the difference between publicity and advertising—both are crucial practices that will help your business succeed. ‏‏Everything about PR (public relations)‏ is specialized, personalized, and focused on a particular narrative; advertising focuses on selling a specific product directly to the consumer.

There is a lot of planning and strategy involved in putting together publicity campaigns. Some campaigns are driven by current events while others are manufactured to fit a narrative. ‏To determine the effectiveness of a campaign, look at reach, the number of people who viewed it or interacted with it, the number of engagements, and what the sentiments were (good or bad).

Good publicity vs. bad publicity

If a business owner has a choice, getting publicity that will move the sales needle in a positive direction is the option he or she would take. One way to differentiate between good publicity and bad publicity is discerning whether an action intended to gain publicity for your brand is driven by noble intentions or has ulterior motives.

Good publicity

Good publicity always involves great planning. Performing market research, identifying the target audience, developing key strategies, and maintaining relevant content on social media accounts are all part of a smart planning strategy.

Business owners can enjoy good publicity by doing things that will create attention or by sharing valuable information. Publishing content online, hosting an event, and encouraging user-generated feedback are all great ways to gain attention. Any time you're able to control the process, you can reinforce your brand and strengthen your connection with customers.

In order for your brand's message to hit home with your audience, it’s important to frame the message in a way that highlights positive ramifications and any lasting impact that may be generated from the campaign. This is what you should be considering during the planning process so your company can align long-term goals with short bursts of publicity.

Bad publicity

Bad publicity, on the other hand, is a very different story. While it can be difficult for a business to recover from bad publicity, if you're able, try to divert negative attention into something positive, or at least try to neutralize negative effects on your company’s reputation. Also have a crisis management strategy in place so if things go wrong, you'll be ready to deal with the situation.

More articles from AllBusiness.com:

• Free Publicity Is Advertising for Your Small Business
• Write an Opinion Column and Gain Publicity for Your Business
• 9 Questions to Ask When Hiring a PR Firm
• Why Your Branded Search Results Are Your Most Important Digital Asset
• 6 Tips to Manage Media Relations in the Digital Age

Ways to get good publicity for your company

Being creative is part of the fun of strategizing publicity campaigns. Some basic ways to get the word out include:

• Guest blogging
• Guest podcasting
• Inviting influencers to blog on your site
• Newsletters

An especially great way to get attention is to host an event. Invite bloggers and journalists in your area who will write about the event and share it with their audience.

Social media is an easy way to get publicity for your company. Posting content can be a way for your business to be promoted via ‏‏word-of-mouth‏‏. For example, if you win an award in your industry and post it on social media, whoever is presenting the award will likely promote your business.

You can also partner with a local organization and together do something newsy and noteworthy that will get people talking. If you both already have established audiences, the compounding effect of shared lists will get your message out to a wider community.

Finally, you can always go the agency route and hire an outside PR person to handle your publicity. Figure out whether you have the budget to pay for this; however, taking the free and earned media route can be just as effective.

So is the axiom "all publicity good publicity" still true?

The answer is, it depends. Effective public relations is key to growing a business. If you're able to handle publicity properly within an overall plan, you'll eventually start seeing the positive results you're looking for.

RELATED: 4 Common PR Mistakes Small Businesses Make and How to Avoid Them