You’re an Inbound Marketer and as such you clearly draw a line between yourself and the press-junket planning, journo-calling ladies that run the PR agency around the corner. But it’s undeniable that with the shift towards digital, the borders between the various sections of marketing such as outbound, inbound, PR and sometimes even sales have become blurred. Think about it, as part of your content strategy, you probably encourage guest blogging and posting for larger publications, you have probably even thought about writing press releases, and events to promote your brands come in handy. So it's only natural to wonder, how much PR do you actually do, and is it a good move? In her recent article for Business to Community, Sarah Greesonbach discusses the difference between digital PR and Inbound Marketing and outlines which one is better for your business.
The best answer to the question of whether or not there is a difference between digital PR and Inbound Marketing starts with a definition of digital PR. PR, or public relations, is a long-standing type of marketing that focuses on how a product, brand, or person is seen in the public eye. The most common example includes the “movie star treatment” of press wrangling and sponsorships. A B2B-specific example looks more like subject matter expert press clips and awards from major magazines and publications like Harvard Business Review and CNN.
Digital PR is a one-way connection between your brand and your customer on an external website that you hope will lay the groundwork for a relationship.
Here’s where we can start to distinguish the difference between digital PR and Inbound Marketing. The purpose of digital PR is not necessarily to attract new customers or close new business (we’ll get to that in a minute). Instead, digital PR uses press clips, press releases, and awards to build up the reputation and authority of your company. It’s a one-way connection between your brand and your customer on an external website that you hope will lay the groundwork for a relationship.
To find out more about the difference between the two disciplines and where you should be taking your Inbound Marketing, read the full story, Is There A Difference Between Digital PR And Inbound Marketing? on the Business to Community website. And if you are looking to further your Inbound Marketing skills as a whole, check out how we can help you by clicking the button below.