As it turns out, a lot. PR maven and resident content strategist Francie shares her views on why public relations and content marketing work great together.
Image by Niuton May via Flickr
Content marketing establishes brands as experts—PR spreads the good word.
You can write the best press release there is but if there’s nothing to back it up, it’s not going to get any traction. The media, and the public, want to hear from a brand that’s established and nothing establishes a brand more than original content that resonates with its audience and proves it's an authority in the industry.
Original content gives your brand its identity—it showcases your values and proves that you're worth listening to.
Step one: produce original content on a regular basis. Step two: use PR tactics to spread its message far and wide. Good content inspires conversation and helps build relationships. By creating original content that helps/interests/entertains your audience, and by sharing it through owned channels, your organization will start two-way conversations with your audience and begin to foster customer loyalty. This supports many PR goals—it raises awareness of your brand, inspires buy-in and, overall, gives people the opportunity to feel more invested in your organization.
A PR campaign is more likely to be picked up if it’s backed by a solid content strategy.
Media outlets are often drawn in by PR, but stick around because of content. Members of both traditional and untraditional media outlets want to know that the organization they’re hearing from is legit. After a pitch goes out, a journalist will often head straight for your website. Once there, if they see an up-to-date blog, educational guides, videos and other pieces of original content, they’ll clearly see your company is a customer-conscious authority in its field.
Linking PR and content marketing doesn’t take much.
Chances are, you're already combining PR and content marketing in some way. But, with a little strategic planning, you could make these efforts go a lot further. Want to promote an upcoming event? Use PR and content marketing to spread the word better and faster. Create a hashtag, include it in the press release and build content around it. A PR campaign that integrates social media and original content is more likely to, as those PR pros like to say, ‘have legs.’
Content lives on, continuing to support PR goals over time.
The power of the internet! A good infographic, a thought-provoking video, a funny GIF—if done right, these will continue to be shared time and time again and thus continue to build brand awareness long after a campaign has wrapped. (We all remember the Oreo tweet heard ‘round the world.)
It’s true—content marketing and PR can not only be friends but could soon, with a little effort, find themselves inseparable. So, marketing folks, take your PR frenemies out for lunch, bury the hatchet and start working together to create a cohesive strategy that supports both your goals.
Get in touch to find out how we can support your PR strategy with high-quality content.