The rise of social media brought with it a sea of diverse content in recent years. As a result, the very concept of traditional PR started to seem a bit immaterial in the beginning.
But it DIDN'T!
Instead, Public Relations has now evolved and embraced new-age methods of publicity and new, innovative, and different strategies to connect to the readers. It still holds it's standard as the preferred choice of cultivating a functional rapport with the media ecosystem. The common thread of storytelling keeps it deeply aligned with the content marketing industry. However, contrary to favoured belief, the traditional methods of image management and reputation building were pretty successful (and they still are). Over decades, working with a PR professional has given companies the impetus and opportunities to connect with editors and journalists. So what has changed?
The Rise of Content Marketing with PR
The internet now has more content creators than it ever did. With the number of people consuming content on a daily basis, it is only natural for companies to pivot to digital mediums of outreach to capture attention. After all, this demand is what gave birth to growth hacking. While content marketing has assumed significance as the method of delivery of messaging in different content formats, PR, on the other hand, is the golden strategy that helps brands connect with the media gatekeepers and reach out to a broader range of audiences. With so much content that is being created online, it’s even harder to stand out. Thus, content marketing strategies need PR behind them to thrive.
How Do You Stand Out?
Content marketing, just like PR, ensures the flow of relevant information amongst stakeholders. It is the new way of making potential customers hear, see and feel the pulse of the organization, its value proposition and people. Think of it like this - before the internet, covering national news was more than a two-line tweet or a 15 seconds reel. The key difference being “online” versus “offline”. Naturally, technological developments have modified the tonality and made content inclined more towards engaging a set of customized audiences.
Content marketing is the way of the present and the seemingly the future to create visible and palpable stories. But content needs to be published. That’s why content marketing needs PR and always will. Either on a major blog with a large reader base or an influencer platform, providing consistently great content, PR agencies will need the fundamental know-how of media stakeholders, now more than ever! While the way we communicate has changed, the people haven’t changed at a primal level. We still have all got only 24 hours in a day to grab that limited amount of attention. (Arguably, we have got less, as attention spans are shrinking.)
Combine PR and Content Marketing
Why are they better together? Well, PR pros know how to create and maintain relationships with journalists, editors, and influencers. And content marketing is all about grabbing attention by telling awesome stories. When you know how to create content that holds the pulse of the target audience, it can easily go viral. So the goal should be to create engaging content and provide it with the media coverage it needs to get the attention it deserves.
While PR might still not be the primary source of distributing content and generating new leads, it is still essential for brand stickiness and recall. Willing to incorporate PR into your content marketing strategy? Get in touch with us!