Marketing and public relations go together like peanut butter and jelly. With the right strategy, they can both make the other more effective (and tasty!).
If you’re currently using content marketing, consider tying in your PR efforts (and vice versa) for maximum results.
Consult Your Calendar
Likely you know several months in advance some of the major PR events you have for the year, like your annual donation to charity around Christmas or participation in a community event.
Paying attention to what news is coming down the line can provide you with ample fodder for your content. Let’s say that each December, you donate 10 percent of profits to your favorite local charity. You usually contact a few members of the local press about this and issue two press releases during the month. Knowing this, you can also plan your content and include a few key pieces to tie in the news:
- Blog Post: How Charitable Giving Helps Tie You to Your Community
- E-Book: 5 Ways to Give Back to Your Community
- Social Updates: Share link to your press releases, page about the event and your blog post.
Write Content Around Media Mentions
For every mention you get in the press, make sure to amplify it through your content efforts. Write a blog post sharing the news and linking to the online article or video. Then share it through social, et cetera.
My client, CorpNet, does a fantastic job of this. The CEO, Nellie Akalp, is frequently interviewed by FOX Small Business and other news channels, and all of these media events are shared through the blog and social as well.
If, for example, you are interviewed in a prestigious publication, consider also issuing a press release about the interview. The more places you share the news, the more people hear about it.
Share Sales and Events With PR AND Content
In addition to the above strategies, find ways to include your sales and promotions in both your PR and marketing. For example, if you’re planning a Black Friday sale, you can share it in many ways. You can write a press release about the events you’re planning that day, as well as offer online coupon codes through social media. You can share pictures from behind the scenes for your blog, and write an e-book on the best holiday gifts to buy.
As you can see, PR and content marketing play nicely together. If you invest a little time and energy into planning ahead, you can use each to make the other more effective online.
Susan Payton is the President of Egg Marketing & Communications, where she helps her clients realize the benefits of social media, content marketing and blogging. Read more of Susan’s articles here!
Photos: Matias Garabedian, Dafne Cholet (Creative Commons); CorpNet
