With companies adopting social media as a prominent role in brand strategy, the lines between marketing and public relations have blurred. These days, it’s not uncommon for businesses to use their social profiles as means for managing both PR and marketing at the same time. This is especially true for entrepreneurs and small companies without separate PR and marketing departments.
It’s easy to see why the two terms are often used interchangeably; the overlap between their functions makes it hard to determine where one ends and the other begins. That gap gets smaller every day. So what’s the difference and why does it matter?
Marketing vs PR
Marketing and PR are both means to accomplish roughly the same goal: reaching customers. Marketing is the paid route to exposure, whereas public relations leverages a third party’s pre-existing platform to share news and information organically.
Simply put, marketing is paid media while public relations is free media. While they’re both effective cross-channel communication tools in their own right, their main applications stand as the point at which they diverge.
Marketing focuses on sales and building an audience through exposure with the primary goal geared toward branding, generating leads and encouraging repeat sales. How a business packages its image and draws in customers are core components of marketing strategy, and advertising is a huge focus.
Public relations shapes the public’s view of a company through a third-party perspective and can be effective for establishing a prominent voice within the industry. However, the opposite also holds true—bad press can change public perceptions to the detriment of the company. With this approach, a business no longer has control over its narrative.
PR is more than press releases and free samples. It’s about fostering customer relationships. (image: courtesy of Flickr user Jon S.)
Which One is Best?
Free media is perceived as more credible than a paid advertisement because it is earned instead of bought. Consumers trust third parties to be honest about the service or product they are promoting because they aren’t being paid or persuaded in exchange for favorable reviews. Unfortunately, earned media is difficult to obtain and requires significant effort for smaller businesses to gain traction.
Paid advertising is available to anyone with a budget. Unlike public relations, it doesn’t have to be earned through work and diligence; however, customers are less likely to be swayed by a company’s carefully crafted image of itself.
When it comes to exposure, there’s no such thing as a one-way approach. Marketing and public relations both possess unique strengths and weaknesses. Learning how to harness these attributes to craft a comprehensive business strategy is key to getting the most out of your efforts.
Paving the Intersection Between PR and Marketing
You put your heart and soul into your business. Make it known with a killer content strategy. As a cutting-edge digital media agency, BlueArx can help you grow your brand and expand your audience with precision. Learn how today.
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