Would Bill Gates ever be down to his last million dollars, let alone a single George Washington? No, the fact remains that it's a powerful endorsement of the power of PR.

Companies need to pay attention to effective advertising and the profits gained. If your marketing is tracked correctly, you will see the impact to your company. Tracking and analyzing your marketing efforts will allow you to see the impact to profit. Great marketing departments and their attention to detail show great company profits.

The usual result of a cut in PR is a drop in sales and sales leads which can make a company practically invisible to consumers and business-to-business customers. These PR efforts give your company a bigger name and the opportunity for everyone to know your name. PR delivers the double-whammy of free press and search engine fodder. When you make cuts in the PR, you hurt your companies' profits.

Company public relations means connecting with the community and potential sales worldwide. To increase that value, there are a number of 'performance-based' PR agencies that mitigate the risk of their clients and only get paid when they deliver solid placements. You never have a guarantee with a retainer-based PR firm. With retainer-based firms, you're paying more for their time than for the press you were looking for. With performance-based agencies, you actually pay only for press, not for intangibles like time and effort. Performance-based firms care about you and want you to succeed in your publicity efforts.

Public Relations offer the client the exposure and networking to get the publicity they deserve. The heart of PR is that clients will likely pay one-tenth or less of the cost of an advertising campaign.

The PR delivers a larger punch because it focuses on the placement of articles and broadcast spots in free media. Are you a financial guru? Appear on a national TV interview. An outlet like Barnes and Noble carries credibility. If the editors of these outlets deem the company or client worthy of news coverage, then there must be something special about them.

Gates was one of the few software geniuses of his era who also understood the differences between advertising and public relations, and was able to maximize both to his company's favor. Trusting in your performance-based PR firm to drive your ideas is the first step to your success. There is no need to pay a retainer for someone's hourly efforts that do not received the same results.

At the end of the day, companies can't survive the lean times without a steady stream of customers coming to their doorsteps, and PR can deliver them without busting the bank.

Marsha Friedman is a nationally recognized publicity expert, writer, national radio personality, public speaker and CEO of EMS Incorporated, a national PR firm with a 20 year record of excellence. Every day she consults individuals and businesses about how to harness the power of publicity. Visit her online and claim your free PR video (a $100 value) for no charge today.