If you have been following us on social media, you probably know that we recently sponsored Million Dollar Mastermind by Ryan Stewman, a speaking and networking event for high-level executives and entrepreneurs!
In lieu of having discussed this topic at length over the past weekend with marketing professionals and potential clients, today’s blog topic is all about how PR differs from and elegantly supports, marketing activities!
Defining PR and Marketing
As our top publicist always likes to say, “Marketing is bringing your product to the consumer [by way of advertising and direct methods]; PR is bringing your brand story to the media [by creating awareness using articles, podcasts, speaking engagements, and television placements].”
PR and Marketing Similarities and Differences
The key similarity between PR and marketing is that they both influence (and increase) your target audience’s chances of buying your product or service.
The difference between the two is that PR serves as backing, giving credibility and authority to your business, while marketing primarily works as a visibility and enticement tool.
To be frank, PR works as a visibility tool as well. How many of us have purchased a product or service because we learned about it from an article? This is not to speak ill of marketing, because marketing efforts are much more measurable and straightforward than the organic nature of PR.
They work together in tandem. Here is how.
Close Your Eyes and Imagine…
Now that you understand the definition and basics, we invite you to picture yourself in the following scenario:
You’re in bed, comfortably scrolling through your social media feed, perhaps with a snack, we don’t judge! Let’s say you’re on Instagram. A targeted ad catches your eye.
Maybe it’s for a new handbag, an app or service, or a course that teaches you how to grow your social media following.
So you go to their page and scope out their feed. It looks good, has an okay number of followers — not outstanding — and you see even more information or photos about the bag, app, or course that entice you.
But something feels off. Doesn’t this bag, app, or course look or sound very similar to the one you saw, by that other brand last week?
So, you head over to Google. You might search something like, “Is @XYZ legit?” or “@XYZ reviews.”
Nothing comes up besides the social media page you were just on, along with others with similar names. No reviews, no mentions from the public.
Now, answer this question: Would you buy that bag, app, or service?
99 times out of 100, we bet the answer is no. You will definitely be checking out that other brand you saw last week before you make your final purchase decision.
Why? Because you couldn’t find a single person or entity to back up the company.
Now imagine you Googled simply “@XYZ” and found tons of articles, published on reputable publications with names you’ve heard of, singing the praises of XYZ Company.
Now, you might start to think, XYZ is clearly the best place to buy a handbag, app, or course from.
Your perception shifted because PR backed up the claims made by the advertisement.
Now you’re ready to take out your wallet.
If you would like to learn how you can use PR to complement and give stock to your marketing efforts, book a call with us today!
Victorious PR loves to keep a functional, collaborative system with our clients. We work as an integrated team, from branding your offer to pursuing organic media placements, in addition to guaranteed deliverables. We are the go-to agents, the top PR specialists in our field that services entrepreneurs, healthcare, cryptocurrency, and various other professions.
We love what we do because we get to meet stellar people every day with amazing stories that deserve to be told. We are proud members of the Rolling Stone Cultural Council and the Forbes Agency Council. We have also won multiple accolades, including Best PR Firms in Las Vegas by Expertise, Top Las Vegas Public Relations Firms by Clutch, and Top PR Companies by Mirror Review.
