“What’s the difference between PR and marketing?” It’s a common question and one that was posed to me last week when I presented a webinar on content marketing for small business on behalf of SmartCompany and Business Victoria.
Given it was a content marketing webinar, I skewed my answer to the different approaches to creating content that PR and marketing people take. But it’s a question I get asked often, and while I can provide a pithy (but unsatisfying) answer, it’s a question that comes with a number of layers and thus deserves a deeper explanation. So here we go!
Definition of public relations
My definition of public relations is deepening the intensity of connection an entity (company, individual, organisation) has with the people who matter most to the success of their business, cause or issue.
These could be your clients or customers, industry influencers such as analysts, bloggers or journalists; it may also be a local council, industry body or government authority if they’re somehow integral to the successful running of your business.
Notice I did not mention generating media coverage for your organisation. While there’s a definite need for companies to gain editorial exposure for their brand, product or service, by just focusing on this aspect you will miss out on the myriad opportunities that fall under the PR banner.
