Weighing up whether your business should invest in marketing or public relations (PR)?
As seasoned digital PR and marketing professionals, the expert team at Aqueous explains the difference between the two, helping companies to make smarter decisions about how they establish and grow their brand.
Is PR considered part of marketing?
Yes, PR is just a specific part of the broader activity of marketing.
Essentially, if you’re doing PR for your business, you’re engaging in some form of marketing. Conversely, not all marketing strategies include PR.
What is the role of digital PR in SEO?
Now we’ve determined that SEO and PR are just two different activities that fall under the wider marketing umbrella, how can they work together?
Well, digital PR (that’s the online version of traditional PR) actually plays an incredibly important role in supporting SEO efforts.
So much so that many SEO agencies, like ourselves, will offer some kind of professional PR support to help boost SEO results.
This is because search engines, like Google, tend to prioritise brands that demonstrate authority, trustworthiness, and credibility – particularly in the age of AI.
Digital PR activity directly supports these aims by:
- Securing high-quality backlinks: These natural, high-quality backlinks (typically obtained from reputable publications) are a direct signal to Google that you’re also a reputable brand. As a result, they can improve your domain authority and boost your keyword rankings.
- Increasing brand mentions: As Google and other search engines have evolved, they can now recognise brand mentions across the web – even if they don’t come with a backlink!
This is a game-changer for SEO agencies and businesses that used to struggle to land a link when their brand is mentioned online by a publication.
- Establishing your brand: Consistent, credible coverage gives search engines a much clearer idea of exactly who you are and what you’re known for, helping your SEO-optimised content to connect with the relevant search user queries.
- Driving referral traffic: The best PR, in the form of articles, features, and interviews, makes the audience want to learn more about the brand in question. Even if there’s no link, if the content is engaging or entertaining enough, it’s likely to drive traffic to your domain!
- Boosting E-E-A-T signals: Google is all about Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness these days.
By securing coverage in reputable publications, earning high-quality backlinks, and showcasing expert commentary, digital PR is one of the most effective ways to demonstrate E-E-A-T all at once.
PR versus marketing: What are the differences?
So, what’s the difference between PR and marketing? Let’s break it down.
Marketing: Marketing refers to a broad set of activities that a business might undertake to help attract and connect with a target audience that they can then sell their products and services to.
Among many others, typical marketing efforts tend to include print advertising, email marketing, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), social media campaigns, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, and even – PR.
Marketing is all about driving awareness, engagement, and measurable results.
PR: With the aim of shaping public brand perception, PR (be it digital or traditional) refers to the process of building and maintaining a company’s positive reputation.
It often involves media relations, crisis management, and handling social media accounts.
PR focuses on building credibility, trust, and long-term reputation.
It might be easier to think of PR and marketing as people with certain personality traits.
While PR would be someone who’s credible, friendly, trustworthy, and respected, marketing would be an individual who’s bold, outgoing, enthusiastic, and action-driven!
When it comes to down to PR vs marketing, there really isn’t a “better” option because they serve different, albeit complementary, purposes.
Instead of trying to choose one over the other, the smarter approach is to consider which combination of marketing activities will best support your specific business goals.
For example:
If your goal is to establish your brand as credible and trustworthy (particularly if you’ve recently opened a store or just started selling online), PR can help you to boost brand awareness and build a positive reputation.
Conversely, if you’ve noticed a recent slump in sales or dwindling organic traffic, you may want to consider other marketing activities.
SEO, PPC, and email campaigns are all marketing activities designed to directly generate leads, traffic, and sales.
Choosing the most effective option will vary depending on your specific business objectives, as well as other factors such as your budget, in-house capabilities, professional connections, and resources.
For the most effective marketing, however, we recommend adopting an approach that combines PR and other marketing activities.
While marketing drives business-critical engagement, traffic, and conversions, PR works away in the background – cementing trust, credibility, and brand recognition.
Ultimately, you shouldn’t be deciding between PR or marketing. You should be strategising based on the specific goal(s) at hand, which should point you in the right direction.
Fortunately, if strategy isn’t your strong suit, we know a digital marketing agency that’s won awards for theirs! At Aqueous Digital, we can provide tailored digital marketing packages in line with your company’s key objectives.
Whether that’s professional SEO services, paid marketing campaign management, or dedicated PR support, our team will recommend the most suitable marketing avenues for achieving your business aims.
To discuss your needs with a member of our team, please feel free to get in touch today! We’ll arrange a free, no-obligation website audit and consultation.
Looking for digital marketing or PR help? Talk to Aqueous today!
We don’t beat around the bush when it comes to delivering exceptional digital marketing. We’ll get stuck straight into a comprehensive website review and produce a free, no-obligation audit.
Whether that audit points towards digital PR, SEO services, or paid advertising as the most effective avenue for your business to explore, we’ll be transparent about our findings and work with you to create a package that meets your needs.
To start building credibility, securing high-authority coverage, and positioning your business as a trusted voice in your industry, please don’t hesitate to reach out using our online contact form today!
Alternatively, you can also request a free, no-obligation consultation via:
Phone: 0800 285 1424
Email: hello@aqueous-digital.co.uk
