LinkedIn provides an excellent platform for getting your name out to prospective partners, clients or employers. Whether you use LinkedIn to network for your home business or to look for a job, your LinkedIn profile is an important aspect of using LinkedIn that you need to get right.

Once you've established a LinkedIn login (set up an account) and you understand how LinkedIn works, you'll want to create an effective LinkedIn profile.

While LinkedIn makes it easy to fill out your profile by providing basic online forms for doing so, there are some things you'll want to keep in mind as you go through the process.

Unlike Facebook or MySpace that also have strong social and entertainment aspects, LinkedIn is exclusively geared toward professionals. Nearly half of LinkedIn members are decision-makers for their companies, so you'll want to make your best impression.

Before You Create or Edit Your LinkedIn Profile

People, businesses, employers, etc. who don't already know you are likely to use LinkedIn's search to find what they're looking for. Therefore, it's important that you consider the one or two most important phrases for which you'd want to be found on LinkedIn. Your key phrases might be skilled plumber, freelance writer or whatever applies to you or your business.

As you build your LinkedIn profile, you'll use your key phrases in several important places. In the meantime, you might want to search in LinkedIn for the phrases you're thinking about and see whose profiles come up at the top of that search. Take a look at their profiles for ideas.

Be sure to save your changes in each section.

Components of a LinkedIn Profile

A LinkedIn profile has several main components:

• Title. This part of your profile appears directly under your name. It's a one or two sentence summary of who you are or what you do. Use your key phrase(s) here, but construct it so your title makes sense. This is essentially who you are or who you'd like to be.
• Summary. Your summary allows you to create a free-form description of your experience, expertise and your objectives. There are two sections - Professional Experience & Goals, and Specialties. Make sure this area is well written using proper grammar and is typo-free. Use short paragraphs with just one or two sentences each.
  
  DON'T write a novel here. DO use your key phrases in this area wherever appropriate. Try to keep your summary punchy, to-the-point and interesting. List each specialty on a separate line. Use dashes, asterisks or plus signs to start each line so it looks like a bulleted list.
• Experience. LinkedIn allows you to create a rather lengthy online resume with your current and previous work experience listed. Be honest, but don't be afraid to work in your key phrases in this area. Also keep in mind, that if you are currently active in more than one position - say you offer consulting services part-time, but you also work for a bank, the position you list with the most recent start date will appear at the top of your employment list. If you want your consulting business to appear first, the start date you indicate (say, February 2009) needs to be later than the start date for your bank job (say January 2009).
  
  Use your official job title (if you have one) but include your key phrases when outlining your experiences and (better yet) successes. Keep your descriptions easy to read - use short sentences and then press the enter key to insert a line break. Use asterisks or + signs to make it look like a bulleted list. The goal is to keep your readers engaged so they don't want to leave right away without finding out more about you.
• Education. Since your LinkedIn profile is an online resume, this area is important if formal education is expected for what you do. Taking the time to fill out this section can make your profile stand out and it can also help you gain connections by putting you in contact with former classmates and fellow alumni.
• Additional Information. Just as it is with a paper resume, you'll want to consider adding information that can help make your profile stand out. Within your LinkedIn profile, you can add a photo of yourself, link to your Twitter account, your websites, awards and so on. You can also include your interests. Just don't list anything you wouldn't want a potential customer or employer to know about or you wouldn't want to be public information. Keep your LinkedIn profile professional.
  
  You can include up to 3 links plus a link to your Twitter profile. The default text might be "My Website" or "My Company". Instead, when you're adding links, select "Other" in the websites section. This allows you to create custom text for you link, such as "Freelance Writer Site", if you were targeted freelance writer as your phrase. Many people make the mistake of accepting the default for these links, which does nothing for getting them found in LinkedIn or on the web.
• Recommendations. After you have established a LinkedIn profile and have built up some LinkedIn connections in your network, ask for recommendations from people who are familiar with your professional skills. The right recommendations can help your profile stand out and they might help you land more work. One of the best ways to get recommendations is to first write a LinkedIn recommendation for someone. During that process, the person you recommend will be asked to write one for you.

To see how your LinkedIn profile looks to the public, click the link next to Public Profile on the Edit My Profile page.

Keep Your LinkedIn Profile Up to Date

Creating a LinkedIn profile is an easy undertaking, but it can prove to be more important to your at-home business than you may realize. Since this online resume is available around the clock to potential connections and even possible employers or clients, you will want to make sure it shines. You'll also want to make sure it's up-to-date. In fact, each time you update your LinkedIn profile, those in your network will be notified.

View My LinkedIn Profile and Connect

You can view my LinkedIn profile as an example. If you want to invite me to join your LinkedIn network, indicate that you are a Home Business reader in your invitation so I can give your request the proper attention it deserves.

This article is part of The Ultimate Guide to LinkedIn.

What is Sprouter.com? Sprouter is an online collaboration tool for entrepreneurs

Class of tool: Niche social network

From Sprouter.com: Sprouter facilitates networking and collaboration between entrepreneurs globally. Providing a platform for users to connect with other innovators, entrepreneurs can expand their networks to include fellow entrepreneurs and startups with similar interests and goals. By answering the question “What are you working on?”in 140 characters or less entrepreneurs can discover and join events in their local areas, start discussions and follow topics of relevance to their business.

If you’re currently an entrepreneur or thinking about launching your business, Sprouter is the perfect place to bounce ideas, get feedback, and meet like-minded people. Sprouter also holds monthly Sprout Up events in cities around the world to connect entrepreneurs in person, showcase local startups, and hear from relevant guest speakers.

Cost: Free

What makes it different? There are a number of differences:

1. There are less, but more targeted, users than many of the mainstream networks.
2. They facilitate offline meetings (Sprout Up events) around the world where users can actually connect in person – just imagine. Meeting feature guest speakers, and showcase local startups.
3. Sprouter focuses on business only, and specifically on challenges facing startups.

Principals:

• Sarah Prevette, Founder/CEO
• Erin Bury, Community Manager

Blog: Sprouter.com/blog

Since: Launched in private beta in August 2009, launched in public beta in November 2009.

Popularity: Alexa site ranking: 63,322 (worldwide traffic rank) with 178 sites linking in.

Who is using? Spouter doesn't release user stats, but some prominent users are WineLibraryTV founder Gary Vaynerchuck; prominent blogger and consultant Chris Brogan and HootSuite founder Ryan Holmes.

Ease of use: If you can fill out a one page form, then you're in.

Time to setup: Just a few minutes.

Time to maintain: No maintenance, as such, is required. But to get the real value, you'll have to invest some time interacting with other users.

Add-on tools: Sprouter integrates with Twitter. Users can choose to update their Sprouter account through their Twitter account by using the hashtag #Sprouter in an update, or they can chose to push all the Sprouter updates to their Twitter account.

What you need to know: Don't expect the flood of followers and direct messages that you get from other larger social networks. But what you do get is actually valuable. This is Twitter, all grownup and focused.

Bottom line: If you are starting-up, growing or running a business, then it is worth signing up. Be prepared to share – there is equal opportunity to help and be helped. Sprouter is an impressive network – your followers are actually like colleagues. Sprouter is more of a conversation than any other network I've seen.

Don't let the money you've already spent on your commercial go to waste. You should stretch your ad dollar even further by posting your commercial on YouTube.com. Here's why:

1. Your Commercial's Already Produced
You spent your ad dollars to create an effective TV commercial so make the most of your money. Posting your commercial to YouTube is free and you get a longer shelf life on your ad even after your run on local airwaves is over.

2. New Way to Reach Customers
There are a couple of new ways to reach customers by posting your commercial on YouTube:

• Invite Current Customers
  Send an invitation by mail or Email to your customers inviting them to watch your commercial on YouTube. If you have a newsletter mailing list or contact Email addresses, send a personal Email that announces your commercial and where they can see it.
  
  Just be sure your customers have given the okay to be contacted so your company isn't considered a spammer. You always want to make sure you send any bulk Email responsibly.
• Reach Customers Outside of Your City
  Millions of people visit YouTube and the site's traffic consistently falls in the top five of every online ranking system. Even if you live in Small Town, USA, selling local products, you have the ability to reach new customers by taking your ad campaign outside of your immediate area.

You may or may not get a sale because someone saw your ad on YouTube but you could generate a lot of buzz, which leads us right into the number three reason to post your commercial on YouTube.

3. Possible Local Coverage
There are a couple of ways you can get even more exposure for your company by posting your ad online. Make a PR effort after your ad is posted. Send press releases to local media outlets announcing that your company is taking its ad ad campaign online with your TV commercial being available on YouTube. This is a good story for newspapers, magazines and Web sites that cover local interest stories.

Don't ignore your TV markets, though. While this is not really a story that's a right fit for TV coverage on its own, you never know when a morning show needs a guest to talk about online advertising and what you've done.

You also want to keep tabs on how your ad is doing. When you reach a milestone, such as 10,000 views, a spot on the "Most Discussed" list, being featured, etc., send out another press release to announce the latest news. Be aggressive with your PR efforts to get the most out of your YouTube ad campaign.

4. Potential to Earn Revenue
You can get paid when people watch your ad on YouTube if you qualify for YouTube's Partner Program. You'll want to stay on top of your PR push after your video is posted. The more people that view your ad, the higher your commercial's rank climbs, the more potential you have to earn money back on what you've already paid to have created.

5. An Easy Way to Get Your Ad on Your Site
Your Web site helps advertise your company. Take your ad campaign to a whole new level by allowing your customers to watch your commercial just by visiting your Web site.

Once you've posted your ad on YouTube, you can easily put it on your site. There are a number of reasons why you would want to do this:

• Save Your Bandwidth
  When potential customers come to your site, they need to be able to see your products, prices and answer any of the questions they have fast. If you have people watching your commercial through your own site's bandwidth, that commercial is hogging the speed and slowing down your site.
  
  Most small business Web sites don't have a lot bandwidth to support videos being watched because they don't need it. After your ad is on YouTube, though, you have the option of linking to your ad or embedding it on your site. YouTube covers the bandwidth and your site continues to run smoothly and unaffected.
• Increased Video Views
  Adding a link or embedding it on your site helps your video views. Since the commercial's hosted on YouTube's server, you get credit for every view. This also increases your commercial's rank, which helps you in your PR efforts as well as your potential to earn money if your ad becomes popular enough.

Many companies are missing out on a unique opportunity to attract customers. Don't post your ad and call it a day, though.

Be sure to follow up with an aggressive PR push and track your ad's success. Not only do you get extra mileage out of your commercial, you never know who's watching.

You can't hide from it. Whether you're driving by a billboard, listening to the radio or flipping through the TV channels, every advertisement has dot.com this and dot.com that.

Even in a lean economy, the evolution of the Internet has business taking a new direction. Now companies need a Web site...even if they aren't involved in e-commerce. But this new wave of marketing still takes some old-school advertising.

Web sites need more than good content. A comprehensive advertising campaign is the only way to make a Web site successful. You not only have to tempt potential customers to buy from you but you have to tempt them to buy from you NOW!

There are several key factors you must consider to accomplish this:

What benefits does the customer get from buying the product? Does your product or service make people smarter, faster, more attractive?

State the benefits. And again.

It's the benefits that will hook your customer. And that hook will have them grabbing their credit card. But if they don't know what's in it for them, they'll be on your competitor's Web site faster than you can clear your cache files.

Keep your site updated. And give them a reason to come back.

Maybe weekly specials, new articles or post a newsletter. Make your site an invaluable resource. Giving people incentives to come back to your site can still generate sales even if the customer wasn't in the buying mood.

Do you have testimonials from your customers? Testimonials prove your product's worth as well as establish your company's credibility.

If you don't have testimonials, one way to get them is by donating your product or service to a few qualified customers. Let them know that you're giving them the product to try for a certain amount of time in exchange for their comments at the end of the trial period.

Make your Web page as easy to read as possible. Grab customers with powerful headlines.

The headlines gently ease customers to read further into your sales message without the tact of a used car salesman trying to unload a few lemons.

Headlines also break up the flow of copy, making your Web page easy on the eyes - something your customers will appreciate.

How many Web sites have you visited with grammatical errors or words misspelled? It looks unprofessional and makes would-be customers wonder about the professionalism of your company.

Proofread your Web page copy. Then have a few more people proofread it.

The writing needs to jump off the page. Fresh. Crisp. A poorly written Web page is worse than not having a Web page at all.

Following these tips will make your Web site informative and profitable. If you're a business owner wanting to develop a Web site, you can contract out the writing portion to a professional freelance copywriter.

Your particular project doesn't warrant a permanent, full-time copywriter or graphic designer. You just need some help temporarily. Choosing the right person for your project is a must for getting the materials you need, the expertise required for the job and making your ad campaign a success.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: Hiring a freelancer for your specific needs requires several hours for research and interviewing.

Here's How:

1. Make a Plan
   What are you looking for in a freelancer? Before you begin your search, make a list of the materials you need written and/or designed and the type of person you want to work with you. Are you willing to work with someone with limited experience? Do you really need the materials within a matter of days? How much are you willing to pay? Do you want to work with someone who charges by the project or by the hour? Knowing these answers first will make your search much easier.
   
2. Do Your Research
   There are plenty of freelance copywriters and graphic designers out there and some may have already approached you. Whether you're searching on the Internet, going off someone's recommendation or looking yourself in your city, research the copywriter or designer to see if they meet with the plan you've outlined in step 1. This will help you cross some freelancers off the list that aren't in line with your specific needs and wants.
   
3. Know Your Boundaries
   You don't have to be bound to a freelancer in your immediate area but it comes down to your personal decision. Thanks to telephones, fax and Email, you can work with a freelancer 2,000 miles away. However, if you want a freelancer who lives in your area, you'll be limiting the number of freelancers available to you but you may gain access to someone you can meet in person if that's the way you prefer to work.
   
4. Check the Credentials
   Don't just hire a freelancer because he offers a lower rate than the others. Check credentials and see what he's worked on. If his experience doesn't show any brochure work and that's what you need, evaluate whether you're willing to risk that he may not be able to give you exactly what you want since his experience is limited in that field.
   
5. Evalute Experience Levels
   Freelancers with a limited background usually cost less but the trade-off is you might be working with someone new to the business. That shouldn't scare you off completely. Just be sure they can handle the project you need. If you have a small project, this would be a good time to evaluate a freelancer with little experience. If you need someone to create multiple projects in a short amount of time, go ahead and pay extra for a freelancer with more experience.
   
6. Ask for Writing Samples
   Reputable freelancers should be able to submit a portfolio to you through Email, giving you a Web site link or even via fax. Look at the writing or design the freelancer has done for other clients. Does it match up with the style and personality you're looking for in a freelancer?
   
7. Give a Writing or Design Test
   Freelancers with a packed résumé aren't going to be as receptive to a writing test as those who are just starting out. For those with a large amount of experience, you can generally make a good decision based on the writing or design samples in his portfolio. But for those with limited experience, you can give a short writing test (for copywriters) or design test (for graphic designers) to see if they will be able to create your materials to your liking.
   
8. Check the Policies
   Freelancers should have a solid set of policies in place. What rates do they offer? Are rewrites or redesigns free as long as the nature of the project doesn't change? What is their turnaround time?
   

How Do They Charge?
By the hour or a flat rate fee? Know this before you agree to let the freelancer do the job. If the freelancer charges by the hour only, you'll need to know an estimate of how many hours it will take to complete the project. Sometimes that estimate will go over, though, so you must be comfortable with working with a freelancer who may go over the hourly estimate. If you're not, see if a flat rate project fee can be given or go with another freelancer who offers one. 

1. Put It In Writing
   Freelancers usually have their own contract they'll send once you offer them the gig. These contracts are fairly simple and state project details, the final charge and when the project is due. If they don't have a contract, you put everything in writing and send it to them to sign. Creating a simple contract will ensure you and the freelancer are on the same page before the project starts.
   

Tips:

1. When checking out a freelancer's work, anything that says "SPEC AD" means the freelancer did not actually write or design the material for the company. The freelancer is just submitting a mock ad to show you how he writes or designs a project. "SPEC ADS" are common in the industry so don't automatically eliminate a freelancer from your short list just because he has submitted these types of ads as samples.
   
2. When creating a writing test, give the copywriters some brief info about your company and have them create a short ad based on the info you've given. Tell them what type of ad you want them to create for the test and make sure it's short so they can give you the results back quickly and they won't have to spend a large amount of time on the test in case you don't hire them. Generally, a 24-hour turnaround time for a short test will be fine.
   
3. When creating a design test, give the designers some sample photos of your product and company if you have them. Have them design a sample print ad, for example, to get a feel for their design style. If you don't have photos, they can insert any type of photos for the sample test because you're just evaluating their design skills for your needs. A 24-hour turnaround time for the short test is sufficient.
   
4. If you're hiring for multiple projects at one time, ask the freelancer for a discounted rate for bulk work. Many will discount the rates for you since you're submitting multiple copywriting or design projects.
   
5. Unless the freelancer has a specific background in both copywriting and graphic design, which is usually rare, hire the freelancers separately. In other words, don't hire a freelance copywriter to do both the writing and the design of the project unless he has a large amount of experience and even schooling in both areas. If you're unsure if he can handle both aspects of the project, give a writing and design test to evaluate the skills for yourself.

Service Terms



Most word processor programs have pre-designed templates you can use. Tweak these templates by starting with the words "SERVICE TERMS" or "CONTRACT" in the upper right hand corner. Use a bold font and make the size bigger than the rest of your text in the contract.


Your Complete Contact Info




Type your name, title (such as Freelance Copywriter) and your complete contact information. Be sure to include your telephone number, fax number and Email address as well as your mailing address.


Enter the Date and Assign the Project a Job Number




The date you should use on your contract is the date you're typing up the contract (not the date you're promising the project will be finished). You also want to give the project a job number. Jot the number down in your records along with a note about the project and put this number on the contract.

Not only does this make you look more professional, this also helps you when you're juggling many projects even for the same client. Your client can simply tell you the job number of the project they're asking about and you can look at your page of job numbers and what the project's about in your records.

Tip: Don't start with the number "1" when assigning a job number for the project. And don't start with a rounded number like 500 or 1,000 either. Select a number that doesn't make it look like it's your first freelancing project.

Client's Name and Contact Information

Type in your client's name and complete contact information. This will appear underneath the date of the contract and the job number.

Create a Job Description

Be as specific as possible when describing the project. You want to make sure you and your client understand each other and what is expected out of the project.

If you're writing a commercial, be sure to include the length (such as :30 for a 30-second commercial). If you're writing a brochure, be sure to write the type of brochure (such as tri-fold). If you're writing a print ad, include how big the ad will be (such as full-page). Just be as detailed with the project as you can.

Create the Project Outline

This area is where you'll describe everything from what is included in the price to how many projects you'll be creating. You'll also want to let the client know whether you charge a flat rate or a per hour fee within your contract.

Tip: While you can write up multiple projects on one contract, it's best to create a new contract for each project. That way, you can be very specific with each project under the Job Description area in Step 5 to protect yourself and your client from any miscommuniciations about each project.

Project Description, Payment Terms and Your Policy Information

If there's one area of your contract that's the most important out of the entire document, it's this one. Identify what you will be providing (such as 1 Tri-Fold Brochure) and how much it will cost the client.

For our example here, we're using $1,600 as a flat rate fee. If you are charging by the hour, be sure to state this in your contract and provide the client with an estimate on how long the project will take to complete and what your hourly rate is.

You also want to include the due date of your project here. This is the date you and the client agree that you will turn in the completed project.

Another area that is extremely important to your contract is your policies. Will revisions be free as long as the nature of the project doesn't change? This is standard practice because a client may not be happy with the direction you've taken and it can be good business to state you'll work with them until they're happy. However, you don't want a policy in place that allows the client to come back to you six months down the road to get a freebie rewrite.

Payment terms are vital to you getting paid on time. The line in your contract may read something like this, "Payment for service due within 15 days of final revision."

Preparing for the Signed Contract

Most freelancers do business via telephone, fax and Email. In-person meetings can be very rare, depending on the type of work you're doing.

In most cases, your contract will be faxed to the client and they will fax a signed copy back to you. You'll want to add two lines for signatures, one for you and one for the client, as well as instructions stating they should sign the contract and fax back a copy to you. Be sure to include your fax number here too for their convenience.

Sign Your Contract

You've created the contract and you're almost ready to fax it to the client for their signature. But first, you need to sign your contract.

When you fax the contract, the client will sign it and they will have a completed, signed contract with both of your signatures. They will sign it and fax it back to you so you will also have a completed copy with both signatures.

The Completed Contract

Your clients fax back their signature on your contract and now you have a completed contract. Get to work on that project. You now have a contract and a deadline!

As a PR pro or company owner managing your own public relations campaign, writing press releases should become very natural to you. If you've got news about your product, service or company, then you're ready to experience the power of press releases.

And best of all? It's free!

So just what is a press release? It's simple. A press release is a one to two page document used to call attention to your company and its products/services.

Learn the building blocks of how to write a press release before you start submitting your releases to the media. Otherwise, you'll start getting a reputation that you're an amateur and your press releases will be ignored.

When you're ready for free media coverage, you send press releases to editors and TV stations. This isn't a guarantee that you'll get free publicity, though. There are many differences between advertising and public relations and in PR, the media is not required to cover your story. You send your press releases hoping they will pick it up for their magazine, newspaper or local newscast.

But you have to be patient. Some publications may take several months to publish your press release. And then there are other publications that will print your release in a few days. It all depends on your news and their schedule.

And television stations are a different story entirely. If you're trying to get air time for an event, send out your press release to your local TV stations at least two days beforehand.

Since news varies from day-to-day, a car crash can prevent stations from covering your event. But your chances are even lower if they receive your press release the same day.

Press releases are also known as news releases. Back to basics, it means just that: news.

If you've been marketing the same heating pad for 20 years and nothing's changed, there's no reason to write a press release. Editors will snub their nose and then line the bottom of their trash can.

Say your heating pad now has an automatic timer built in for convenience. There's your news!

There are several types of press releases you can write. Starting a business. Having new employees joining your team. Your company wins awards. You're working with a charity. Or anything new or different about your business and its product line constitutes a newsworthy press release.

There's a trick to writing press releases, though. Your message has to be newsworthy without sounding like a blatant advertisement. The release is written in an unbiased format so the reader trusts the information to be accurate.

However, there's a clear distinction between advertising and public relations. But if they're written correctly, press releases can be even more effective than advertising.

In order to build your press release, focus on what your readers will care about. Grab their attention.

Use a headline that sums up your entire story. That way, they'll get the meat of the message and - if the headline's good enough - they'll read on.

Your first paragraph should answer at least five essential questions. Who? What? When? Where? Why?

If at all possible, answer a sixth question. How? Sometimes you just can't work the "how" into your piece. Always, always make sure you answer the first five questions, though.

Answering those five key questions gives you a great opportunity to make your point quickly. Don't bury your story. You'll have one paragraph to impress the editor...if you're lucky.

At the same time, don't approach the hard-sell. That's a quick turn off for editors and a great way to keep their paper shredder happy.

Don't forget your basic information as well. It may sound elementary but be sure to include the name of a contact person, phone number, fax, Email address, Web address and company address.

Also write a short paragraph that describes your business. Use this paragraph at the end of every press release.

Keep your sentences short and to the point. Don't use jargon. Just keep it simple.

Don't be tempted to write a long press release. Stay as close to one page as possible. More than two pages is way too long.

One thing to keep in mind is that editors don't have a lot of time on their hands. They'll be reading your press release with hundreds of others. So imagine how many editors will roll their eyes if they see a three- or four-pager come across their desk.

Write your press release as if you were a third-party observer. Read the newspaper for some examples. Or study press releases from other companies.

A good press release, one that will be seen in print, is tightly written with accurate, newsworthy information. Since most press releases are printed exactly as you send them, make sure there are no spelling errors within your piece.

Since you're not paying for ad space and getting your press release published is up to the editor, consider the services of a freelance copywriter or a PR firm. PR firms usually run the same amount as an advertising agency. So you might be better off with a freelance copywriter. It all depends on how many press releases you're planning on submitting.

Once you send out your press releases, how will you know if they're printed? You can use a clipping service that tracks the publications for you. They'll clip what actually appears in print and send it to you for your records.

But you'll know you've written a successful press release if your phone starts ringing off the hook. That's when you can say you've experienced the power of free press.

If you're searching for a career or trying to promote your company, you may have questions about advertising vs. public relations. These two industries are very different even though they're commonly confused as being one and the same. The following ten properties just scratch the surface of the many differences between advertising and public relations.

1. Paid Space or Free Coverage

• Advertising:
  The company pays for ad space. You know exactly when that ad will air or be published.
• Public Relations:
  Your job is to get free publicity for the company. From news conferences to press releases, you're focused on getting free media exposure for the company and its products/services.

2. Creative Control Vs. No Control

• Advertising:
  Since you're paying for the space, you have creative control on what goes into that ad.
• Public Relations:
  You have no control over how the media presents your information, if they decide to use your info at all. They're not obligated to cover your event or publish your press release just because you sent something to them.

3. Shelf Life

• Advertising:
  Since you pay for the space, you can run your ads over and over for as long as your budget allows. An ad generally has a longer shelf life than one press release.
• Public Relations:
  You only submit a press release about a new product once. You only submit a press release about a news conference once. The PR exposure you receive is only circulated once. An editor won't publish your same press release three or four times in their magazine.

4. Wise Consumers

• Advertising:
  Consumers know when they're reading an advertisement they're trying to be sold a product or service.
  "The consumer understands that we have paid to present our selling message to him or her, and unfortunately, the consumer often views our selling message very guardedly," Paul Flowers, president of Dallas-based Flowers & Partners, Inc., said. "After all, they know we are trying to sell them."
• Public Relations:
  When someone reads a third-party article written about your product or views coverage of your event on TV, they're seeing something you didn't pay for with ad dollars and view it differently than they do paid advertising.
  "Where we can generate some sort of third-party 'endorsement' by independent media sources, we can create great credibility for our clients' products or services," Flowers said.

5. Creativity or a Nose for News

• Advertising:
  In advertising, you get to exercise your creativity in creating new ad campaigns and materials.
• Public Relations:
  In public relations, you have to have a nose for news and be able to generate buzz through that news. You exercise your creativity, to an extent, in the way you search for new news to release to the media.
• 6. In-House or Out on the Town
  • Advertising:
    If you're working at an ad agency, your main contacts are your co-workers and the agency's clients. If you buy and plan ad space on behalf of the client like Media Director Barry Lowenthal does, then you'll also interact with media sales people.
  • Public Relations:
    You interact with the media and develop a relationship with them. Your contact is not limited to in-house communications. You're in constant touch with your contacts at the print publications and broadcast media.
  7. Target Audience or Hooked Editor
  • Advertising:
    You're looking for your target audience and advertising accordingly. You wouldn't advertise a women's TV network in a male-oriented sports magazine.
  • Public Relations:
    You must have an angle and hook editors to get them to use info for an article, to run a press release or to cover your event.
  8. Limited or Unlimited Contact
  • Advertising:
    Some industry pros such as Account Executive Trey Sullivan have contact with the clients. Others like copywriters or graphic designers in the agency may not meet with the client at all.
  • Public Relations:
    In public relations, you are very visible to the media. PR pros aren't always called on for the good news.
    If there was an accident at your company, you may have to give a statement or on-camera interview to journalists. You may represent your company as a spokesperson at an event. Or you may work within community relations to show your company is actively involved in good work and is committed to the city and its citizens.
  9. Special Events
  • Advertising:
    If your company sponsors an event, you wouldn't want to take out an ad giving yourself a pat on the back for being such a great company. This is where your PR department steps in.
  • Public Relations:
    If you're sponsoring an event, you can send out a press release and the media might pick it up. They may publish the information or cover the event.
  10. Writing Style
  • Advertising:
    Buy this product! Act now! Call today! These are all things you can say in an advertisement. You want to use those buzz words to motivate people to buy your product.
  • Public Relations:
    You're strictly writing in a no-nonsense news format. Any blatant commercial messages in your communications are disregarded by the media.