PR and content marketing are intimately linked. Photo credit: Antonio Mesa
Like love and marriage, public relations and content marketing go together. They’re best when they’re intimately linked.
Effective use of public relations techniques greatly increases an organization’s content marketing reach and increases its ROI. In promoting the ebooks, blog posts, infographics and other content through media relations, blogger outreach, public speaking engagements and other strategies, PR can vastly improve content marketing results.
Jeff Pyatt, head of PR Initiatives at content marketing agency Outbrain, provides examples of how PR and content marketing can work together.
L’Oreal
L’Oreal, a manufacturer of cosmetic products, runs Makeup.com, a website featuring videos, news, and other shareable content related to, well, makeup — its core business. It’s not immediately clear that L’Oreal owns the site; L’Oreal’s name is only mentioned in a footnote. Still, the non-branded, educational content allows the firm to demonstrate its products without paid adverting. The site content is shared frequently, gaining additional visitors.
Lego
Lego understands the importance of engaging children instead of adverting to parents. Its YouTube Channel entertains and educates children with videos and movie tie-ins. The channel receives over 1 billion views a month, and over 5 million children are members of its clubs, according to the Guardian.
Hotels.com
Hotels.com employs a data-driven PR strategy. It takes its vast amount of data and breaks down the numbers into reports and press releases that are relevant to particular publications, increasing chances that they’ll publish it. For instance, business magazine Incentive published a Hotels.com report predicting that properties would emphasize business meetings more in the coming year.
SeatGeek
SeatGeek, an online ticket seller, also benefits from a data-driven PR strategy. It created infographics like SeatGeek’s Guide to the Big Game to obtain coverage on CNBC, Bloomberg and other sites.
McDonald’s Canada
McDonald’s Canada created a website designed to solicit questions from customers. By quickly and honestly answering, the company engages consumers and dispels myths about its food. Because answers are searchable on the site, consumers don’t have to ask questions to find answers.
Paul Roetzer, founder and CEO of inbound marketing agency PR 20/20, outlines eight steps to how PR can increase content marketing success.
1. Construct a media database that includes the market’s business publications, blogs and trade publications. Record the outlet’s name, contact information, social profile links, their markets, and any other information. Upload these contacts into your marketing team’s CRM system. Don’t waste the time of journalists or bloggers if your pitches are not relevant to their specific audience.
2. Collect publications’ editorial calendars that show the topics they plan to cover throughout the year.
3. Pitch story ideas. Once your media database and editorial calendar list are complete, seek opportunities for you to customize and send pitches.
4. Find topics that allow you to contribute content including guest posts or bylined articles. Those are superb opportunities to obtain quality inbound links and increase website traffic.
5. Identify influencers. If you’ve produced an eBook that features insights from industry influencers or is relevant to influential bloggers, put the information in front of them and their audiences.
6. Consider partnerships. Consider working with organizations to create and distribute content through their events, emails, and websites.
7. Arrange speaking engagements for your company executives at industry events. This provides an opportunity to showcase your content and promote your company before your target audience.
8. Submit your content for industry awards. Seek contests that recognize excellence in marketing. Awards extend the life of a content marketing program as well as your reach to new audiences.
Bottom Line: PR can vastly increase the reach and effectiveness of content marketing. These are just some of the ways companies are using PR to strengthen their content marketing. The possible options may be limited only by creativity.
What PR techniques have you used to promote content marketing?
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
