Digital marketing and public relations (PR) are two distinct disciplines, but combined, they can pack a mean punch. While you need unique strategies for each approach, they can work together to enhance your visibility and credibility.
Whether your goal is to boost your personal brand or increase business sales, combining digital marketing and PR is a must. Follow these tips to craft excellent marketing and PR campaigns.
1. Use consistent messaging.
Digital marketing mostly promotes your brand through:
- Content marketing
- Pay-per-click (PPC) ads
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Social media
PR teams use these digital marketing channels but primarily work behind the scenes, pitching media outlets to build and maintain your public image. PR isn't afraid to use more traditional methods, like pitching journalists, while digital marketing focuses on public-facing online platforms.
These strategies work differently, but you still need consistent messaging on both fronts. Have your marketing and PR folks meet to agree on branding guidelines beforehand. This way, you agree on campaign goals, phrasing, and tone before creating anything, which ensures consistency across your digital marketing and PR campaigns.
2. Find the right influencers.
You can't log into TikTok or Instagram without seeing influencer content. For digital marketing, leverage influencers to help you create content. Most influencers are happy to make user-generated content you can share on your website or social media.
Influencers drive exposure in a niche market, which is perfect for PR. It isn't unusual for PR agencies to get placements in influencers' holiday gift guides, for example.
You don't have to work with the same influencers for digital marketing and PR, either. As long as you work with the right influencers for the job, there's nothing wrong with partnering with several influencers for both strategies. You can generate more content and buzz in less time, which is a win for both marketing and PR.
3. Drive thought leadership with content.
If you want the public to take you seriously, you'll need to prove yourself. The best way to do that is to produce helpful, educational content.
Content marketing is the bedrock of digital marketing because it boosts your thought leadership. Work with your marketing team to create:
- White papers
- Case studies
- Blogs
- How-to videos
Once your digital marketing folks create this content, they can pass it to the PR team. PR works its network to secure guest post opportunities, media features, and interviews to leverage this content even more.
4. Host events.
Live events can certainly turn heads, but virtual Zoom events are also a popular way to connect with your target audience. Your digital marketing team can plan a live-streaming event on Zoom, Facebook Live, or YouTube. To drive attendance, they can promote it via targeted email campaigns, social media ads, and SEO-optimized landing pages.
PR takes the ball from there to generate buzz for the event. They create press releases, reach out to industry bloggers for features, and look for other organizations to co-host or sponsor the event.
5. Get more mileage out of customer feedback.
It's difficult to convince people to leave positive reviews or testimonials about your company, which is where your digital marketing department comes in. They can use loyalty programs and email marketing to encourage happy customers to leave a review. Before you know it, you'll have more reviews on Google, Yelp, and Trustpilot that show just how reputable you are.
From there, marketers look for the most high-quality reviews and testimonials and use them to create compelling, data-driven case studies. PR also jumps in to use quotes and case studies in their press kits and journalist pitches.
It's common for people—especially the media—to look for reviews and ratings before interacting with your brand, and sharing this feedback can give you a leg up.
The bottom line.
PR and digital marketing have a symbiotic relationship. Instead of approaching them separately, try the strategies in this guide to enjoy the synergistic benefits of combining digital marketing and PR.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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