While PR and marketing each offer unique benefits to a business, their true power emerges when combined. Imagine a world where PR isn't just a separate entity but serves as the overarching umbrella, enhancing and encompassing every facet of your marketing strategy.
That’s the perspective PR expert Renée Warren, founder of We Wild Women, shared with us on a recent episode of Remotely Cultured. In this article, we’ll unpack the synergy between marketing and PR, offering Renée’s insights and actionable PR tips to elevate your outreach strategy — boosting brand awareness, credibility, and profitability across the board.
Let’s dive in!
PR Tips to Enhance Your Marketing Strategies
When you’ve been thinking about PR and marketing as two separate initiatives, it can be challenging to understand where the two intersect. Let’s break down three PR strategies that you can implement that will serve your marketing objectives at the same time — a two-birds, one-stone approach.
Build Notoriety Through Podcasts and Awards
While digital marketing strategies like SEO can bring in valuable leads, building a brand's credibility and notoriety requires a different touch. One of the best ways to achieve this is by showcasing your brand on podcasts and pursuing industry awards. This doesn't just add a feather to your cap; it also positions you as a thought leader.
“The most trusted form of marketing is earned media,” says Warren. “If you work with SEO, you understand that to be linked back from a top-performing website is huge… But PR is also applying for awards, contacting podcast hosts, and signing up to be a speaker at different events. People that go on stage and crush their talk get so much business.”
Engage, Don’t Just Broadcast, on Social Media
Many brands fall into the trap of using social media solely as a broadcasting platform. Renée, however, actively engages with her followers, even asking them why they chose to follow her or her business. This not only provides insights but strengthens the bond between the brand and its audience.
It’s also important that quality trumps quantity when it comes to social media. Your socials should establish credibility and provide value to your followers. “I use [social media] to figure out if there's any way I can provide value to the people that are following me,” says Warren. “Regardless of what platform you use, just make sure you have really great content and you're consistent with it.”
Focus on Relationship Building
According to Renée Warren, relationship building trumps every other strategy — from a PR or marketing perspective.
Warren mentions an instance where a rep from a local dentist's office saw that she moved to the area based on a location tag on one of her posts. The rep reached out, said hello, and told Warren to let her know if she ever needed a dentist.
Fast forward a few months: She did end up needing a dentist. Instead of googling “dentists in my area,” she remembered their conversation. Now, she’s a loyal customer — all because someone reached out and formed a connection with her.
3 Ways to Nail PR Outreach
You get it — PR is an important piece of the marketing puzzle. As you begin to dive into your PR outreach strategy, use these three actionable tips to help you ace your outreach game.
- Don’t forget to follow up: Warren reminds us that when it comes to PR outreach, persistence is key. Always follow up two weeks after your initial pitch and, if there is no response, try again two weeks later. After a month with no response, it's best to move on.
- Make your emails searchable: While you're crafting email pitches, layer relevant keywords into the subject line. If the topic you're pitching isn't relevant to the journalist or podcaster right now, that doesn't mean it won't be later. When they search their cluttered inbox, you want your email to be the first to pop up.
- Ask for what you want: Make sure your pitch has a singular, clear call to action. The recipient should understand both what you offer and what you want from them.
Merging PR and Marketing for Success
PR and Marketing aren’t opposing forces, and we have to stop treating them as such.
By understanding the relationship between the two initiatives, we can leverage both to build meaningful connections, establish brand credibility, and amplify our marketing messages. When done well, PR acts as a catalyst, supercharging your marketing efforts and propelling your business to new heights.
For a deeper dive and to hear more firsthand insights from PR expert Renée Warren, make sure to tune into her episode on Remotely Cultured!
