This is powerful: Why looking at your business through the twin lenses of PR and marketing could become a game-changer!

G’day, I’m Trevor - welcome to Reputation OnRamp, thanks for being a valued subscriber! If you know someone who’d be interested in this newsletter, please do forward it to them. They can subscribe here. Thanks in advance :)

I’d like to run a concept by you and it might - just might - change the way you look at how you position and promote your business and professional personal brand.

As business owners, we’re told constantly that we have to “do marketing”, but what the heck does that even mean? And where does public relations, or ‘PR and communications’ to broaden out the term, fit into the equation?

(Did you know that much of what you do under a ‘marketing’ banner is actually PR? But that’s a topic for another day!)

Here’s the challenge we all face: There’s so much noise out there, so many tools, apps, hacks and platforms … so many self-proclaimed ‘gurus’ shouting and pontificating and ‘muddying the waters’ with misinformation.

It’s enough to make our heads spin!

And that’s what I’m seeing on a day-to-day basis: Business owners who constantly find themselves in a ‘fog’, perpetually dazed and confused around all things marketing.

I’m hoping to use this newsletter to start clearing a pathway through this fog (tell your friends, I’m here same time, same day every week 📣)

Please note, I’ll get deeper into the key tactical aspects of the ‘PR vs marketing’ debate in a future article (I know that sounds like I’m pitting them up against each, making it sound like a competition - believe me, I’m not trying to do that 😃 ) …

… but for the purposes of this particular newsletter, I want to keep things as stripped back and as simple as I possibly can, while at the same time ensuring there’s a bit of substance underpinning my theory.

Bottom line: Grasp the concept I’m about to explain, and it just might cause a rethink around all things marketing, PR and communications … in a good way! Don’t forget to check out future editions so we can keep this ball rolling!

Okay, here’s the idea I’d like you to consider:

Start looking at PR and marketing through two different lenses: Work to the strengths of each discipline, integrating them when it makes sense to do so.

This idea is predicated on the fact that PR and marketing serve different purposes, and when they overlap - and they do overlap at times - each comes with its own variations and nuances in how they’re implemented strategically, and tactically.

Take content creation for example:

• Marketing-led content is designed to drive sales and revenue e.g. product-centric content such as how-to guides, case studies, interactive product demonstrations, testimonials, tutorials, educational webinars, product comparison guides, in-depth technical articles or documentation, product-focused podcasts featuring customers, curated user-generated content with clients showcasing their experiences, FAQ pages, SEO purposes (to drive website traffic) etc. In short, content that’s designed to attract and retain a clearly defined audience, with a view to driving a profitable customer action (conversion). Put another way: align the content efforts with a marketing funnel, or the typical customer journey. There’s the top of the funnel, where you've got potential customers who are ‘problem aware’, but aren't sure what types of solutions that are out there for them … then you’ve got middle of the funnel, which is prospective clients and customers starting to seek a solution and assessing their options. And finally, there is bottom of the funnel, where potential customers are at the point of deciding on a solution for their problem, and are edging ever so closer towards making a purchase.

• PR-led content is designed to build strategic visibility and deepen connection with an audience, to position you as an authority in your field, to build credibility, trust and reputation, and generate positive conversations about your brand; it’s more editorially inclined, and includes thought leadership content (e.g. opinion pieces, whitepapers, videos and blog posts designed to position you as an industry expert), data-driven content (such as surveys, reports, and studies), relationship-building content (human stories, taking people ‘behind the velvet rope’ of your business, reinforcing your origin story), crisis and issues communication content (that positions a business and addresses negative events or public controversies, focusing on reputation management), content for SEO purposes (earned backlinks via third-party online publications) etc.

So, as you can see, to blindly lump all content efforts under ‘marketing’ is plainly wrong, and yet that is what many marketers do and thus, they don’t get the optimum value that content in its many forms can - and should - provide a business.

Think about the different goals, nuance and mindset required in the development and delivery of a strategic content program. That’s the depth we need to go if we’re to nail this philosophical approach.

Okay, let’s set the scene …

PLEASE NOTE: For the purposes of this article - indeed, the whole concept I’m outlining for you here - I need to put a stake in the ground as to how we are going to ‘ring fence’ the functions of marketing, and PR and communications. I’ve deliberately stripped things back to the basics:

MARKETING - Letting the right people know about your product or service in a way that makes them want to buy it. It’s about understanding who your customers are, reaching them where they are, and showing them why they need what you offer.

I like how small business marketing expert Tom Poland defines marketing in his book, The Million Dollar Ceiling …

PUBLIC RELATIONS (PR) - The practice of managing communication and relationships between your business and the public. Its core purpose is to build visibility, trust, influence and credibility, educate people about your values as a business owner, and manage your professional reputation and that of your brand.

My personal definition of public relations is a little more straightforward, and puts ‘relationships’ at the heart.

[ If the above ‘ring fencing’ is not something you agree with, please don’t read any further - you’ll only get agitated 😃 ]

And, before any highly-trained marketing practitioners come at me with pitchforks, I do acknowledge there are many more facets of marketing than what I’ve outlined above. 

THINK: Market research, product development, crafting of service offers, pricing strategies, market positioning, sales messaging, product packaging, collateral development, customer service, sales funnels, SEO, etc.

I mean, the list is really, really long because marketing is an intricate discipline, especially when it comes to large companies and brands.

But really, for most businesses that operate on the smaller end of the commercial spectrum (and that’s who I mostly deal with) - for better or worse - marketing is often consigned to that promotional bucket, with a skew towards attracting, nurturing and converting leads into paying customers.

And while some business owners might take seriously activities such as crafting of service offerings, brand positioning, sales messaging and the like, at the end of the day, when they talk about marketing, generally what they really mean is:

“How can we promote our business, products and services? How can we get more leads in the door, how can we generate more sales?”

Okay, let’s keep this ball moving …

Sorry about the build-up, but it was necessary to first set the scene. Now, let’s get into the ‘meat’ of the idea …

Here are 10 key elements of my overarching premise that we should look at PR and marketing through two different lenses, and treat them accordingly:

1. PR sits at the ‘base’ - it’s the foundation that makes your marketing activities work harder by building trust and reputation, enhancing your credibility, and deepening the sense of connection people have with your brand and your business, partners, team members etc - think: credibility before conversion, paving the way to a sale

2. Marketing ‘sits on top of’ PR and consists of activities designed to position a product or service, create demand for said product or service, and attract and nurture prospects, and convert leads into sales - think: getting prospective customers to take action, whether that’s hitting the ‘buy’ button, booking a discovery call with you, downloading a how-to guide, clicking on a product comparison article, watching a product demonstration video, registering for a webinar that will include a special promotional offer. You get the idea!

   [ NOTE: While I’ve chosen to use a Venn diagram above to visually explain this idea, once we get into tactics, I will be reverting to a pyramid to reflect the fact that businesses should ‘build from the base’ ]

3. PR is often indirect; it’s relationship-driven and focuses on two-way engagement, with strong emphasis on building credibility, authority (in the case of an expertise-based business), recognition and reputation; PR tends to be more organic, relying heavily on building and cultivating earned trust with key audiences, not just clients and customers but also the people who influence them, among other stakeholders a business might have

4. Marketing, on the other hand, tends to be more overt and transactional, with emphasis on building out the customer journey (‘funnel’) creating client demand (lead generation), and making the sale; whereas PR tends to take the organic ‘earned’ route, marketing historically involves more ‘paid’ media so brands can advertise and thus target more people, albeit with one-way messaging

5. Both PR and marketing can be used effectively to cultivate affinity with target audiences

6. PR and marketing coexist with some overlap - for example, content can be created through either a PR or a marketing lens (as alluded to above) #SameSameButDifferent

7. A lot of small businesses can get by largely by focusing on DIY public relations, but if they want to fuel additional sales and revenue growth, they will need to invest in marketing (and potentially adopt more of a ‘sales’ mindset)

8. Marketing by itself (i.e. without PR paving the way) will potentially wear out your audience and prospective clients - we know people don’t like being pitched all the time; they avoid advertising and overt promotional messaging like the plague. However, ‘massage the marketplace’ first using PR and communications tactics, win people over in a genuine and human way, then they will more likely be receptive to your promotional message (because you’ve earned the right to pitch versus simply interrupting people who care little about you or your business).

9. The key is to ensure the two disciplines work together in harmony, and that you - the business owner - knows when to put on a PR versus marketing ‘hat’.

10. Get it right, and it’s like 1+1=3 - that’s when the ‘magic’ happens!

Rounding up …

Running a business can sometimes feel like a daunting task, especially when it comes to understanding the nuances of PR and marketing.

These two critical functions are often misunderstood, sometimes even lumped together, when in fact they each play distinct yet interconnected roles.

We’ve unpacked these roles in this article, drawn some crucial distinctions, and explored (at a surface level) the grey areas where they can, and do, overlap.

By understanding these subtleties, you'll be better equipped to harness both disciplines effectively.

That’s all I wanted to cover today.

To set the scene, and then put forth my premise.

In coming newsletters, I will dig a little deeper into the tactics, but more important is the lens we attach to the implementation of said tactics, and understanding the mindset and nuance required of each.

If the above idea resonates, then I don’t think you’ll have too much difficulty in adapting to the delicate ‘dance’ required to make a success of your overall marketing and communications efforts.

PLEASE, HIT ‘REPLY’ AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS TOPIC - OR LET’S CONNECT ON LINKEDIN AND SHOOT ME A DM.

Thanks,

TY

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

“Everyone loses when bright people play small.” — Dr. Valerie Young, a leading expert on impostor syndrome and co-founder of Impostor Syndrome Institute

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO:

Love Songs (Van Morrison) - Listen on Spotify

In case we haven’t met yet …

Hi, I’m Trevor. I help purpose-led business owners become clear and confident in how they leverage PR, content and digital communications for profit, impact and legacy.

Would you like to discuss how I can help you in a coaching capacity to build your profile and reputation as a trusted and credible expert or thought leader in your industry?  CLICK HERE TO BOOK A NO-OBLIGATION 30-MINUTE ZOOM CALL