Building relations with others is important in business, and in everyday life. Behind every campaign lies hours of brainstorming and research. And while public relations and inbound marketing might be seen as two different entities, they have quite a lot in common.
Are Marketing and PR the Same Thing?
No, they aren't. While marketing and PR might share a main goal (to create a unique brand identity, boost awareness, increase web traffic), their strategies and executions are different. And when you combine the two practices, you get a powerful marketing advantage, which can easily be applied to campaigns, content, and much more.
PR and Marketing: What's the Difference?
According to the Public Relations Society of America, PR is defined as a " strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their public."
By contrast, the AMA describes marketing as "the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large."
Creating content for each of these channels is a totally different ball game:
Digital PR uses press releases, press clips, and awards to establish brand recognition and strengthen a company's image.
Inbound marketing focuses on SEO, social media and valuable insights in the form of blog posts, infographics, videos, whitepapers, and case studies to drive leads.
Marketing and PR overlaps can be found at business-related events like sales conventions where products or services and buyers merge.
3 Ways Marketing and PR Can Work Together
1. Blogging
Businesses who blog and sprinkle in target keywords are practicing effective PR and inbound marketing. Fulfill each stage of the buyer's funnel with useful posts that aim to solve a problem or meet a need.
Check out some of these blogs that use both PR and marketing techniques.
2. Social Media
Public relations is about delivering a positive and effective brand message to buyers. Well, guess what? So is inbound marketing. Social media is not only a gateway to connecting with users, it's also a great tool for the media and press who dig for information to use as a source.
3. Press Release
During a PR outreach involving a product launch, an event or a new service offering, the main mission is to boost awareness and generate leads. But once the hype passes and public interest dwindles, that's when inbound takes over. Continue to feed the marketing machine by building brand loyalty and converting leads into customers with content such as email campaigns, social networks, newsletters, personalized CTAs, and automated workflows.
Smart Marketing Starts with a Plan
If you're aiming toward more visibility and leadership in your strategy, these similarities between marketing and PR can be a combined approach to bringing your business to a new level.
But before anything, the first step to making your business goals a reality is to set them up for growth, the S.M.A.R.T. way. Download our free template to efficiently organize and calculate your objectives and results.
