If you’re a small business owner, you might wonder, “What is the role of marketing and PR?” It’s important to have a clear understanding of both areas. There are many different ways to use PR and marketing to help your business. Here are some tips: Build relationships with influencers, Build a positive image of your brand, Build awareness of key messages, and amplify milestones.
Relations with influencers
In the modern business world, it is not uncommon for a company to use PR strategies to boost its sales. These tactics can help a company break through advertising resistance, present new products, gain support from retailers, and spread its products faster. However, there are two competing views of the relationship between marketing and PR. While some people believe that PR is an independent discipline unrelated to sales growth, others maintain that PR is important for creating a positive brand image for a company. Regardless of the view, the reality is that the two disciplines work hand-in-hand to increase sales.
Although marketing and PR have very different objectives, both efforts aim to build a connection with their target audiences. PR practitioners aim to create positive relationships with the media, whereas marketers strive to establish a connection with consumers. As such, the main difference between the two is construed as one of selling versus promotion. Both strategies, however, aim to speak positively about their clients, though to different audiences.
Building a positive image for a brand
Building a positive brand image is crucial to increasing customer retention and attracting new customers. Brand image is built over time through consistent messaging, and it requires a lot of dedication and time to build. It is also important to make your brand stand out from your competitors.
PR focuses on building a positive brand image and maintaining relationships with other stakeholders, while marketing is focused on reaching customers and increasing sales. PR professionals consider creating a positive buzz about their company when crafting their messaging, while marketing professionals consider product sales goals and ROI of a recent campaign.
PR uses the media to create brand awareness and build a positive brand image. Since these messages are not coming from the company itself, consumers are more likely to accept them. Similarly, PR also helps a brand create a compelling story to appeal to its audience.
Amplifying milestones
Marketing and PR can help companies leverage key messages and milestones, such as the launch of a new product or a business’s 30th anniversary, to drive more sales. These activities can also be aligned with other marketing activities. For example, press releases can be timed to coincide with a marketing launch or a product launch conference. Publicity is viewed as more objective and credible than paid advertising, and people tend to believe it more.
