Public relations and content marketing go hand-in-hand and we frequently combine efforts with PR companies as their digital partners. One of the main aspects of PR is effective communication with customers and the audience, attracting attention when you want it and deflecting it when you don’t.
Getting a message across to a large audience quickly is the aim for any PR company. In previous times, newspapers, radio and television were the go-to media for PR companies. Nowadays, the internet is the primary tool.
Social media, blogs and websites allow instant communication with a large audience. Public relations is no longer a one-way street; dialogue and engagement are the new way of interacting with consumers, through content marketing and social media management.
Content marketing versus PR
While the two are linked and intertwined, there are certain differences between content marketing and PR. Firstly, content marketing is a constant and regular exercise as websites are updated and blog posts created on a daily or weekly basis. Public relations is only necessary at specific times, either good or bad.
Secondly, content marketing aims to create interesting articles and videos that help the audience in some way, whereas PR is more formal and centered around a specific event or product launch.
Thirdly, content marketing requires less budget and time, provided that the company has someone who knows how to create the content and share their expertise. PR, on the other hand, can be an expensive exercise that necessitates the use of professional communications experts to ensure that the exact message is relayed.
Next, content marketing generally targets a niche audience – often people interested in a specific topic or industry. PR is far-reaching and can be aimed at a much wider audience. Lastly, the success of content marketing is measured by traffic and backlinks, whereas PR is measured by the number of media placements and mentions online.
Combining content marketing and PR
It is clear that the two methods of communication work differently, but they share a common goal; to create a specific message about a company or brand and share it with an audience. Therefore, the two can be combined and leveraged off one another.
Combining your content marketing and PR strategies allows ideas to be shared with an audience, especially on trending topics and the latest industry news. PR teams can work alongside content creators like us to produce fresh, unique and engaging content on behalf of a brand.
Thought-provoking articles and videos can be created by the content marketers and then pushed to a wider audience using the PR team’s contacts and list of influencers. A brand will therefore be able to reach new audiences in a more effective way.
It’s vital to align the themes and topics between the content marketing and PR teams. Blogs and social media posts should be cohesive with public relations statements and press releases.
One of the best benefits of combining the two strategies is the SEO for a brand. The content created will have all the relevant keywords that are needed to get the best rankings for a brand. Press releases that contain these keywords are then widely reported on by various other media outlets, creating backlinks and traffic referrals for the brand, based on those keywords.
How to integrate content marketing with PR
If you have content marketing and PR teams at your disposal, combining their expertise and resources will benefit your business. Start by identifying the strengths of your team members – content marketers like us will know a lot about SEO whereas PR agents will know how to reach the right audience.
Next, the two teams need to plan together and align their content themes. This ensures cohesion in your brand message and content. Combining editorial and promotional calendars will make your business relevant and more effective at engaging with your audience.
When it comes to creating the content, the two teams can collaborate and use their expertise to the advantage of the content rollout. Content will be unique and helpful and the outreach will be effective and precise.
The two teams need to constantly communicate with one another. They need to be on the ball with the latest developments and industry news so that content can be fresh and relevant.
To sum up, combining content marketing and PR forces can serve your brand in many ways, such as creating top-quality content that reaches the perfect audience. Your content can also generate more backlinks and mentions when a PR approach is used for distribution.
Aligning your content and PR initiatives not only validates your content, but it also ensures that the message is consistent and that your brand is received by the audience in the precise manner you want. The two practices may differ but they can work like a well-oiled machine when combined properly.
Speak to us about starting a partnership with your brand or PR agency. We are experts in the content marketing field and can help your business grow in the online space.
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