Public relations, or PR, deals with the creation and distribution of content as well. PR and content marketing are two different departments that share the same end goal.
Did you know that around 77% of marketing communications experts think content marketing is a top priority? Content marketing is the creation of various things, like blogs or videos, that help you connect with your target audience. You can subtly build a community of engaged followers through educational content.
Public relations, or PR, deals with the creation and distribution of content as well. PR and content marketing are two different departments that share the same end goal. So, how can businesses use PR and content marketing together to build their brand?
This guide will discuss the top six reasons why PR and content marketing should work together. Effectively communicate the story of your business while increasing awareness and your customer base.
1. They Share the Same Goals
The methodology behind content marketing and public relations is very different. Each strategy has many shared goals. If executed correctly, some of the goals they can both achieve include the following:
- Improving brand awareness
- Sharing and creating media for public consumption
- Targeting a specific audience
- Generating new leads
- Cultivating relationships with influencers and industry efforts
Content marketing and PR need to work together to achieve these goals. To talk about how they can work together, we need to define what each one is.
What Is Content Marketing?
Content marketing is a form of marketing is the creation and sharing of content. This can include:
- Blog posts
- Infographics
- Resource pages
- Podcasts
- Videos
- Social media posts
The goal of the content is to increase interest in a company's service or product. To get started, companies must first know who their audience is; once they've determined that, they can decide which content to use to engage them.
Businesses can then create and share their content with their target audience. The end goal is one of the things we listed above.
What Is PR?
As we mentioned in the introduction, PR stands for public relations. It's a process that creates beneficial relationships between companies and the public.
PR differs from content marketing because it focuses on reputation or brand management. As we said, content marketing is digital or tangible pieces of content.
There are two main types of PR — traditional and digital. This type of PR leverages traditional media sources to improve brand awareness. Some examples include:
- Magazines
- Newspapers
- Radio
- Television
Digital PR combines the above tactic with a more significant online strategy. It's focused on other sources, like websites, blogs, and social media. The end goal of both types of PR is shared with those of content marketing.
2. PR Valdiates Your Current Content
PR is an effective tool for validating your company's current content. A PR specialist can access a wide range of journalists and media outlets that a marketing team doesn't. Your PR team can promote a piece of content that your marketing staff has created.
For example, a PR team member can write and issue a press release. A press release is a written document communicating information about a new product or another type of announcement. They send this via email to media outlets and freelance journalists.
The idea is that the media members you send the press release to will be interested in your news and the content you share with them. Content in press releases can be things like high-quality product images, infographics, videos, and more. You'll gain more awareness as media outlets share your news with their audience.
People trust the information they see from their favorite news outlets. They'll usually be more inclined to believe their opinion overseeing something just posted on your website. Getting information about your brand out to media influencers and news outlets is critical to promoting your brand.
PR gives your content a leg up that you couldn't get otherwise. You could share amazing things on your channels, but it might not get noticed. Having a media outlet share and discuss your content gives your business credibility.
3. Share Your Ideas on a Shared Platform
The main goal of content marketing and PR is creating and distributing your content. By working together, these two facts create a platform where you can share ideas.
For example, when you want to create new content, your marketing and PR team can brainstorm. They can work together, creating an editorial board or idea calendar. The two teams can figure out content ideas and determine whether they go in the category of:
- PR content
- Marketing content
- Both
Your teams might want to think of different types of content that tie in with upcoming news announcements. Let's say you have a game development company and are launching a new title in a few months.
Your staff could work together to determine what trailers you need to promote your game. The PR team could use these videos in press releases they issue announcing key features about the game, like when it'll be available for purchase.
As your PR and content marketing teams work together, you can unify your brand's message. Collaboration is vital when creating content that makes sense for your company and reflects your values. You can also see how all of your content and PR tactics work together to address critical topics and themes.
4. Become a Thought Leader
Thought leadership is one of the best ways content marketing and PR mix. PR is a valuable tool for increasing your authority and building your brand. You can do that through one of the following avenues:
- Social media presence
- Media coverage
- Speaking engagements
- Interviews
Content marketing isn't left out of this either. It helps people become thought leaders by publishing informative content pieces. This includes expert commentaries or industry reports.
Remember that "thought leadership" isn't a form of content. It's just an approach to creating valuable content for your audience.
As you become a thought leader, you can use content marketing and PR tactics. They work together to position you as an authority in your industry. They also ensure that you have consistent messaging throughout the entire process.
EcoEnclose has used content marketing and PR to establish itself as an authority. They created content on relevant keywords and topics. They used their expertise to become the leading destination for questions about things in their industry.
The team at EcoEnclose distributed press releases and reached out to journalists. That allowed them to respond to inquiries with factual information and stats. The result was building trust and authority.
5. Boost Your Online Visibility
Digital PR is critical to improving your online presence and reputation. You can use reactive and proactive PR efforts to maximize the results you get from your initiatives.
What's proactive PR? That means sharing your content and getting it published on reputable websites. You want to create buzz about your business so potential customers and journalists can find you online.
Reactive PR is tailored to responding to journalists. This includes finding media members interested in your news or content. You can create more traffic to your website as you share information with media members.
6. Increase Your SEO
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is vital to improving the organic traffic to your website. It's essential for both your content marketing and PR materials. Your shareable content must be optimized for search engines, including press releases.
By optimizing everything you send out, you're ensuring that it'll get found on search engines. It'll also increase the quantity and quality of traffic you get to your website.
Many marketing team members understand how to implement SEO into their blogs and landing pages. Media alerts and press releases need to have SEO as well. Your PR will need to get up to speed on optimizing their content effectively.
Your marketing and PR teams can work together to understand how to optimize everything that goes out. Some ways you can improve your press releases include:
- Include relevant keywords throughout your press release
- Writing a strategic call-to-action (CTA)
- Add visuals whenever you can
- Link to high-authority websites
Orbit Media effectively uses both content marketing and PR. They post consistent and original content on their website.
On top of that, they reach out to around 1,000 bloggers each year with a survey. They create a content piece that includes the answers they receive. The information they share is:
- Comments
- Branded charts
- Statistics
They then share this article on their website, social media pages, and with media outlets. It gets linked to other high-authority websites.
You Need PR and Content Marketing to Grow Your Business (H2)
So, which is better—PR vs. content marketing? No tactic is better than the other. PR and content marketing should be used in tandem to achieve maximum results for your business.
Did you find these PR and marketing tips helpful? Thoughtlab is an innovative digital marketing agency that's here to assist you with achieving your goals. Get in touch with us to learn more.
