B2B businesses need to effectively communicate their messages in a timely and cost effective manner that will endear their brand to their consumers. Online and offline marketing can be part of your Public Relations.

Merging the PR and marketing departments can save you lots of money and time, and create a positive impact in your market. I am convinced that this is also why NBC merged its communications, marketing and promo departments in 2010.

The role of the PR and marketing staff is to represent your business as you would like it to be seen by your customers. Coming from the marketing part of the coalition, I find that even the PR team represents the business among investors, customers, clients and the public. We might be carrying out our duties in different ways but it all comes down to building awareness for our brand.

Is There REALLY a Difference Really Between Marketing and PR?

The roles of the PR and marketing team may intertwine but traditionally, there are fundamental differences. The PR team concentrates on how the business is seen in the media and oversees the relationship of the company with investors and other companies. In a nutshell, PR is more about the business’ brand.

On the other hand, marketing is more concerned with the business’ reputation that is geared towards improving profits. This usually includes running promotional campaigns both online and offline. Both marketing and PR are aimed at improving brand awareness and sales.

If PR is done well, you can reach a greater audience without the traditional huge cost of marketing and advertising. It is important to look at the benefits that PR brings to the marketing department. Makovsky & Company conducted a study between July and October in 2012 on who owns social media between marketing and PR. Needless to say, the battle was between CMOs and CCOs.

Here are benefits of integrating PR in marketing:

1. Puts you a step ahead of your competitors who are not using PR for marketing.

2. A cost effective way to reach your target customers in big numbers, good for companies whose minimum annual revenue is $100,000.

3. Makes your company more credible than using traditional promotions and advertising.

4. Makes your company’s image and perception strong.

5. Improves brand awareness and increases demand for your products and services.

PR is no longer a distant relative of marketing. John Lonsdorf, president of R&J Group says that the emergence of PR as a branding tool is more of an evolution than it is a revolution. Consumers today get all sorts of brand messages from all directions unlike in the past when catchy tag lines were used over and over until people got used to them. A brand is a perception and public relations plays an important role in shaping customer perception of your brand.

Combining PR and marketing can have a huge impact in terms of the number of leads you get, brand awareness, cost savings, sales and profits and time used in marketing.

If you had not thought of Public Relations as part of your marketing, perhaps this is the time to think of their combined benefits? In today’s social world where consumers are alert and a simple mistake can erode their confidence in your brand, PR is even more crucial. The earlier you grow with public relations, the better for your company.

I leave you with this thought: compare the cost and time it will take you to launch an ad campaign and that of launching a PR campaign, and think of the benefits of integrating the two.