Public relations is the practice of creating mutually-beneficial relationships by providing relevant and timely information to an audience that already exists. Content marketing, meanwhile, is all about creating content that attracts and retains new audience members.<\/p>\n
While these concepts may seem like opposite ends of the communication spectrum, combining content marketing and PR offers a new approach to lead generation for your organization.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n Customer acquisition costs (CAC) are on the rise. About 60% of marketers say that their CAC has increased over the past three years<\/a>, making it more important than ever for companies to both identify potential leads and increase the chances that these leads are quickly converted into paying customers.<\/p>\n Content marketing excels at the second part of this equation. As a result, companies are earmarking more of their marketing budgets for content-based campaigns; as noted by the Marketing Insider Group<\/a>, the most successful companies now spend up to 40% of their total marketing budget on content-driven campaigns. PR budgets are also growing as companies look to keep existing connections strong \u2014 in the U.S. alone, businesses now spend more than 6 billion per yea<\/a>r on public relations efforts.<\/p>\n The result? Spending to keep current customers and drive conversions is on the rise. However, for many companies, lead generation is hampered by content nets that are too wide to capture the ideal audience, and PR approaches that focus too much on maintaining the status quo.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n On its own, PR is designed to keep current audiences interested and disseminate key information about business operations to relevant news and industry outlets.<\/p>\n By integrating techniques that content marketers use to drive engagement (quizzes, questionnaires or user generated content), it\u2019s possible for PR teams to generate new leads that have existing connections with current audiences in order to capture more of the target market.<\/p>\n PR and content marketing are two sides of the same coin. Both focus on creating and communicating valuable information \u2014 just for two different audiences.<\/p>\n When it comes to PR, the goal is to educate existing audiences, such as loyal customers, stakeholders, and social media followers, about topics of interest. Assets created by public relations teams \u2014 such as press releases, white papers, or eBooks \u2014 are often posted on news sites or shared with industry publications to reach an audience that\u2019s already listening.<\/p>\n Content marketing teams, meanwhile, focus on consistently creating high-value content that\u2019s both timely and relevant and then sharing this content in hopes of generating new customer interest and expanding the overall audience. Content marketing teams are often responsible for email campaigns that encourage users to click through on new products or download reports; they may also create newsletters and social media posts and coordinate marketing partnerships such as those with social media influencers.<\/p>\n Combining these two approaches makes it possible to find and generate leads that are likely to become loyal customers.<\/p>\n Not sure where to get started with lead generation under a content marketing\/PR model? We\u2019ve got you covered with seven strategy options.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n News travels fast. So fast, in fact, that even digital news outlets often can\u2019t keep up. For businesses, this means that it remains important to submit PR pieces to familiar news sources and industry publications. It\u2019s also worth finding accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn that offer similar news coverage at speed.<\/p>\n By using a combination of familiar and fast-moving options for content distribution, companies can increase their reach and their impact.<\/p>\n While PR\u2019s focus has long been on written content\u2014 press releases and white papers that contain the science of data collection and statistical interpretation \u2014 there\u2019s a growing demand for visual content that offers a lower bar to entry.<\/p>\n The result? Marrying the in-depth content created by PR teams with more broadly-applicable infographic art developed by content marketing experts will help your content reach the widest audience possible.<\/p>\n When it comes to content marketing and PR combined, there\u2019s nothing wrong with copying yourself, so long as you do it the right way.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what it looks like in practice: You create a white paper or eBook about a new product, then repurpose this content to create multiple, shorter blog posts. The result? You capture both PR and content markets with similar \u2014 but not identical \u2014 content.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be shy about awards you\u2019ve won or honors you\u2019ve received. Often listed on press releases, companies may be reluctant to mention awards in content marketing efforts for fear of veering too far away from social conversation into sales.<\/p>\n In reality, it\u2019s worth highlighting what you\u2019re good at, both on your website and in any content marketing campaign efforts. While there\u2019s a balance to strike here between self-love and self-awareness, the evolving nature of consumer expectations has customers seeking out brands who have the credentials to back up big claims.<\/p>\n Your content doesn\u2019t exist in a vacuum. Consider a white paper used by PR teams and then reposted as a blog and social media link by content marketers. If content teams can prompt engagement from potential customers, such as giving feedback or leaving comments, this can help inform the focus of the next piece of PR content, which in turn gives rise to the next content campaign.<\/p>\n Both what you know and who you know matters in marketing. It\u2019s worth leveraging PR connections to help drive content strategies. These could be social media influencers, industry experts, or even long-term customers who are willing to share your content.<\/p>\n For influencers, this could mean an ongoing freelancer arrangement that requires a specific number of posts. For long-term clients, discounts or other offers could pave the way for content sharing.<\/p>\n Last but never least in the fast-moving world of consumer purchasing trends? PR and content marketing teams need to stay in constant communication. This both reduces the risk of redundant or outdated content making it to news outlets or onto social media sites and helps ensure that new campaigns are coordinated for maximum effect.<\/p>\n So what does this combination of PR and content marketing look like in practice? Let\u2019s take a look at four real-world examples.<\/p>\n PR is about digging into the details, while content marketing focuses on the outcome. Both work in favor of Wells Fargo, which donates up to 1.5% of its total revenue to charitable causes<\/a> every year.<\/p>\n As a press release this is good information, but as part of a larger content marketing campaign, especially during the covid-19 pandemic, it\u2019s a great way for the company to show themselves doing some good and connect with new customers.<\/p>\n Ford is focusing on sustainability and has committed $22 billion for vehicle electrification efforts<\/a> to help achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. It\u2019s an ambitious goal with a substantial timeline \u2014 but it also fits neatly with the current public focus on green initiatives.<\/p>\n By creating a narrative around this sustainable approach, Ford has the potential to reach environmentally-conscious consumers who would have otherwise avoided the popular vehicle maker.<\/p>\n Google is also committed to energy reduction but has had more impact on the social side of corporate social responsibility (CSR) thanks to its outspoken CEO, Sundar Pichai, who is willing to engage both industry and world leaders <\/a>in areas of social responsibility and equality.<\/p>\n As a result, Google is not only able to leverage its massive data resources to deliver relevant PR statistics but can back it up with socially-conscious action that makes for compelling content.<\/p>\n Streaming giant Netflix offers paid parental leave for parents<\/a> \u2014 most take between four and eight months but they can take up to a year \u2014 putting them well ahead of most corporations.<\/p>\n While the parental leave itself is a great talking point, combining information about this program with details about the ongoing success of the company at scale creates a great content narrative, one that could pay significant dividends over time as companies grapple with the ongoing impact of The Great Resignation<\/a>.<\/p>\n PR and content marketing together can bring lead generation opportunities to the table. Public relations offers relevant information for interested parties to help create reciprocal relationships, while content marketing makes it possible to streamline the process of lead-to-customer conversion.<\/p>\n By combining forces, these disparate delivery methods become a dynamic duo, capable of generating leads that are more likely to convert \u2014 and more likely to share their experiences with other potential customers.<\/p>\n Want to make the most of this practical pairing? Use PR to establish and reinforce relationships with industry insiders and influencers, then lean on their connections to distribute purpose-built content that helps generate high-quality leads across your target audience.<\/p>\nCurrent Challenges in Lead Generation<\/h2>\n
How Content Marketing and PR can Work Together<\/h2>\n
1. Find new channels<\/h3>\n
2. Combine science and art<\/h3>\n
3. Repurpose content<\/h3>\n
4. Talk up your accomplishments<\/h3>\n
5. Create a reciprocal content framework<\/h3>\n
6. Lean on established connections<\/h3>\n
7. Keep communications open<\/h3>\n
Examples of Content Marketing and PR Lead Generation Strategies<\/h2>\n
1. Wells Fargo<\/h3>\n
2. Ford<\/h3>\n
3. Google<\/h3>\n
4. Netflix<\/h3>\n
PR and Content Marketing: Making the Most of this Dynamic Duo<\/h2>\n