At Zahra, our mission is to connect brands with their desired audiences through the creation and distribution of purposeful content.
Nowadays, brands are spoiled for choice when it comes to distribution channels. From sponsored partnerships and online events to social takeovers, email marketing and blogs – the list goes on, and the opportunities for likes, shares and comments are endless. With that being said, unless your content is being seen by your desired audience, it will likely do little to yield the best outcome for your business.
If you’re investing time, resources and budget in creating a zero-waste content strategy, PR could very well open up new opportunities by reaching larger, targeted audiences, and winning new customers along the way.
PR and content marketing have more in common than some might think. Both share an important goal: building awareness for a brand and improving that brand’s reputation amongst the right demographics. Nevertheless, with so much content being created online, it can prove even trickier to stand out. That’s why content marketing will always benefit from having PR behind it to thrive and survive in today’s always-on environment.
Here’s our top five reasons why you should consider combining your content marketing and PR efforts.
1. WIDER REACH
Content marketing comes in many different shapes and sizes. Your strategy may involve research, blogs, magazines, EDMs, social amplification or video. While all of these things come with their own promotional activities, PR can act as an additional driver to help businesses reach their promotional goals. Whether it’s amplifying B2B or B2C content through editorial pitching, events or media drops, the right combination of content marketing and PR strategies can take content to the next level, by helping to ensure campaigns reach the broadest audience possible.
2. CEMENTING BUSINESS CREDENTIALS & THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
PR is an invaluable tool for building brands and providing them with a platform for key stakeholders to have a say in a specific space – whether that be through speaking opportunities, social, or interviews. At the same time, it’s content marketing that helps individuals become thought leaders by publishing insightful content in the form of reports, webinars and expert commentary. Combining PR and content marketing tactics can be crucial in helping to build trust by positioning stakeholders as leading experts.
3. INCREASED ONLINE VISIBILITY
In a world where a high-ranking Google search result is crucial to get ahead of the game, it’s important to think about how you can optimise your SEO results. Press coverage which features your business’s content can be a great way to improve online visibility by offering backlink opportunities that can also assist with SEO.
4. CONSISTENCY IS KEY
Establishing a successful brand in today’s marketplace is no easy feat. With so much competition, it’s important to establish an identity and maintain a consistent image across all relevant platforms. Leveraging PR as a means to raise awareness of content creation helps to ensure that all of the messages a business puts out – in both the online and offline realms – share the same tone of voice.
5. VALIDATION
PR can be used as a means to help validate your content strategy. For example, when it comes to receiving information, people are more likely to place trust in their favorite media outlets and reporters, than in a commercial brand. When trying to build brand awareness, attracting the attention of media and influencers can be a major help in getting recognition from the public, and is just as crucial as sharing information via your owned channels. Press coverage will tell your target audience that the information your business is sharing is both valid and worth knowing.
Backing your content marketing strategies with a well-thought PR programme will allow you to deliver tailor-made stories directly into the hands of key opinion leaders, giving your content that boost it just might need.
Need a hand in creating your content strategy? Then get in touch by emailing hello@zahramediagroup.com, or connect through our Contact page.
