Without letting on how old (or not) certain members of our team are, it’s safe to say we’ve been working in marketing and PR for a couple of decades. That means we’ve been part of the industry as it’s gone through a time of huge change. And that change is still taking place, shifting how brands speak to their customers and what marketers need to do to maximise budgets. We’re talking about the rise and rise of digital channels, with websites, SEO, podcasts, YouTube, social media and influencers all taking their place in the marketing mix over the past 20 years.
That’s disrupted traditional marketing, bringing about both huge changes and amazing opportunities for brands, particularly those willing to converse directly with their customers online. It’s also reshaped the way PR integrates into those marketing strategies, and we’ve been along for the ride since everything started to change. That’s why we’re so well placed to help our customers thrive in the digital era – we know exactly how to use PR alongside the new school of marketing channels to supercharge our efforts. Let’s take a closer look at how:
It’s a key piece of the content marketing puzzle
Have you heard of content marketing? In very simple terms it’s the idea that instead of simply creating promotional materials, a brand’s marketing department instead focuses on creating educational content. This could be in the form of blogs, social posts, white papers, videos and more, with the level of detail dependent on where the reader sits in the sales funnel – new and shopping around, comparing and considering purchase, a new customer or a long-time customer and advocate. This approach can work wonders and placing these educational articles in the press is a key element of content marketing. PR professionals are superstars at ensuring that this content is engaging, shareable and aligns with the brand’s messaging and marketing goals. Plus, these press-facing articles can and should be reworked into content for a brands blog, website, social media and so on!
We’re great at online reputation management
In today’s digital age, a brand’s reputation can be made or broken on social media. That means that opportunity and risk sit side-by-side at any moment, so having someone who can advise you is invaluable. The same skills used in PR play a vital role in monitoring and managing online conversations, reviews and comments. We’re proud to be a source of knowledge and reassurance for our clients, helping them to address any negative feedback they get and
promoting positive interactions. Interacting with customers and followers in a smart and considered way is crucial for maintaining a positive online reputation.
Our skills translate perfectly to managing influencer marketing
PR skills are highly transferable and valuable when it comes to managing influencers. Influencer marketing is all about building and maintaining relationships, crafting a positive image, and effectively communicating your brand’s message to a wider audience, which aligns with many core PR competencies too! Influencer marketing is fast becoming one of the most effective tools for brands keen to reach a wider audience and build trust through authentic endorsements.
We’re ace at assisting with crisis management
Information – and misinformation – can spread rapidly online and be started by something as simple as a grumpy customer. If the worst should happen to your brand and you discover rumours are swirling about you, PR will be your best friend. A skilled PR team has the press contacts to help you put out a statement if needed and can advise you on the best things to post on social media in response to what’s happening. If there’s longer-lasting damage to your brand, a PR can help secure interviews, partnerships or charity initiatives that can help rebuild a reputation.
Our work will be supercharging your SEO
A lot of the press coverage we place for our clients also comes with a digital article these days, and that means a backlink. A backlink is when a website (for example in this case, the Horse & Hound website) links to a page on an external website (our client’s website). Press coverage normally serves as a high-quality backlink, which mean it not only improves your website’s search engine ranking but also enhances its authority and credibility in the eyes of both web visitors and search engines. Win-win!
PR boosts thought leadership and builds brand trust
Social media and online marketing have huge benefits for brands – they can reach and engage with customers directly, something that brands would have paid thousands of pounds for a few decades ago! However, it can be tricky to build up credibility and brand trust online. Brands pop up out of nowhere selling poor quality goods, or someone can pretend to be an expert in their field with no knowledge (bar Google!) to back it up… So how can you stand out as a trusted and respected authority in your field? We recommend… PR!
PR is a highly effective tool to build credibility and trust with a target audience. You can submit products for review in magazines, so they are tried and tested by journalists. You can write expert comments on key industry issues. You can offer training tips… There are so many ways to leverage PR to build trust and reputation. As Apple executive Jean-Louis Gassée is quoted as saying: “advertising is saying you’re good, PR is getting someone else to say you’re good”. Guess which has more value in the eyes of your potential customers?
Upleveling analytics and ROI measurement
For years, PR professionals like us had to rely on readership figures alone to report on the effectiveness of campaigns. While that’s still a metric to show clients how many people have seen their brand, we can now use digital analytics tools too, giving a great 360-degree view of the effectiveness of a campaign. This collective data helps us refine strategies and demonstrate the ROI of PR activities – and we love it!
So, to wrap things up: In the digital era, PR is more closely integrated with other marketing channels, such as content marketing, social media marketing and SEO, to create a cohesive and effective marketing mix. It’s about building and maintaining relationships, managing your brand’s online presence and leveraging digital platforms to tell a compelling and consistent story to the audience. And we’re pleased to report we’re smashing it here at Kilchurn Marketing!