Inbound…..Now with Added PR

Want to reach your target audience without spending the big bucks required for advertising? Then you need to combine your content marketing and PR for big returns.

Advertisers have it easy. They’re able to target their specific audience with ease whether that’s what they earn, their age – even what political party they support. But while advertising is targeted, it’s also super costly.

The good news though is that you have exactly these abilities at your disposal. By merging content marketing and PR activity you can approach target audiences in the same way that advertisers do!

“A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front page ad.” – Richard Branson

Who’s your audience?

Your customer base is not just one singular persona – it’s made of a mixture of people and personalities. Failing to recognise this could alienate complete sections of your audience, costing you leads and money.

Before you start any marketing or PR campaign, make sure you really know your audience as this will help define your content so that it creates engagement with the right people.

Inbound meets outbound

So you’ve got your audience, but what next? Well a successful campaign will combine both content marketing and PR to get the best results.

Your inbound campaign will help pull those to you who are already in the purchase stage of their buying cycle, while adding in PR will help push the message out to those who haven’t heard of your company… yet!

Start by going on the pull…

What: The pull – or inbound marketing – makes it easy for potential customers to find you, whether that’s through blogs, white papers or social media.

How: Content is critical to the success of any inbound marketing campaign – the average number of sources used by buyers throughout the purchasing journey is 7.6!

Talking directly to the needs of your consumers throughout each part of their buying journey means you can build a better rapport with them – 82% of consumers like reading content from brands when it’s relevant to them.

Using a series of specifically designed content targeted to your personas’ business pains will allow them to find out more, contact you or, even better, become a brand advocate.

Now it’s time to give them a push!

What: While inbound marketing works – it delivers 54% more leads than traditional push marketing – it’s only great for those customers who are actively seeking a service or product you offer. Some consumers however, such as late adopters, need that extra pull and that’s where the PR comes in.

How: Push marketing placing products directly before your target audience. While this has traditionally been the reserve of advertising, PR has a place here – especially when you use the personas created for your inbound marketing strategy.

PR helps to push your content onto buyers who may not be aware they need your services! It amplifies what you’re already doing via your inbound marketing, making sure that the message is out there loud enough for people to hear it.

Mixing content marketing and PR

• Use your expert knowledge

If you regularly answer industry questions on your Facebook page or host a Google hangout, PR this to relevant industry bloggers or trade websites and you’ll create a wider awareness of your knowledge, elevating you within your industry.

• Attract the right audience

Using your personas will ensure you know who you’re talking to, whether that’s via a white paper or a press release. Of course integrating content marketing and PR means you’ll also know how to promote that targeted content to your required personas, making sure more eyeballs see it!

• Engage with them via compelling content

Whether you’re using video, infographics or have conducted a major survey into industry trends, your marketing content can be incorporated into your press releases and other promotional material, which makes your message so much more engaging than just plain text.