When people talk about PR, they are really talking about media relations, which is a subset of public relations. A publicist is a media relations expert; a PR professional, however, takes a 360-degree approach to your business by developing communication strategies to persuade potential customers to buy from you. Dealing with the press (or media) is one these strategies, but so is social media, branding, influencer outreach, special events and more.
Many companies are not ready for a public relations agency no matter how long they’ve been in business. Unless you’re generating a certain amount of revenue, PR should be the least of your focus. As a PR professional, I’m often telling people they’re not, in fact, ready for their close-up.