At Search media, we offer those services to our clients, but sometimes some of our clients may think they need one thing when what they actually need is another or a combination of all. Therefore, what is many clients ask is that what is the difference and when should you use as a strategy. Honestly, your business probably needs ongoing campaigns for each of those but breaking it down helps in specializes and prioritizes.
What is the difference between PR, branding and marketing?
Branding: Building Loyalty and Affinity
Many people or clients think that creating a logo is the extent of branding, however nothing could be further from the truth. Your brand is your company’s face and personality. Branding drives the emotional response of your customers or targeted audience has to your content, message and brand. Branding simples means having a solid understanding of you customers / audience, their emotional triggers. Branding will touch everything you do in PR and marketing too. Just think about your social media -is it sassy or supportive? That is what we call a branding decision.
A strong brand has a clear voice, idea and gives their customers something they can relate to or self-identify with. When you brand fits into their self -story of how they seem themselves you will increase affinity and loyalty. Most strong brands have simple identities that rarely change. Look at Coca-Cola the brand is associated with happiness, Apple is associated with innovation. These companies they consider their brand when making big decisions (is this consistent with our brand and our customers’ expectations of us?).
Below here are some of the tools that will support a brand initiative , the essential key to a branding initiative is to be sure your company has complete clarity on the audience , key messages and the desired emotional bond. Branding initiatives may include a call to action however most important elicit an emotional response and reaction.
- Content: whether third party or designed, branded and selected to enhance brand’s status in the customer’s mind.
- Advertising: with an emphasis and stressing on “WHY” the brand is significant rather than the “where or how”
- Events: attach a brand to a unforgettable experience or designed with imprint a impressive experience in the client’s mind, as opposed to a “lead retrieval” strategy.
- Website: With an emphasis design and layout, that matches desired customer’s emotional response.
Marketing: Driving Leads
Obtain leads is one of the most crucial step in marketing. Depending on your product, marketing may be the art-form/science of conversion also. At search media we find top-of-the-funnel tactics including:
DIGITAL
Here are the recommendation you should consider
- Content: Webinars
- Social Media: with custom content emphasis and link building
- Digital Ads: banner ads and social ads with a strong call to action for prospects
- Remarketing: including shopping cart abandonment and new and old customers
- Email marketing: shopping cart abandonment, new product announcements, customer campaigns and promotions
- Website: Landing pages with a strong , effective call to response and action.
- Content: blogging, lead magnets designed to support the customer is buying cycle.
IN PERSON
- Seminars/Festivals
- Tradeshows
When to use marketing tactics:
Use marketing when your sales personal are trained and ready to follow up with leads. Training your sales consultant to understand lead sourcing, where and when the clients are in the decision-making funnel will help increase conversion. Notice one of the crucial differences between marketing and branding content is the use of a strong call to response and action.
PR: Influence & Social Proof
PR is the art of raising awareness and influence. It is crucial in social proof.
Here is some of the tactics that can help you:
- Media Relations: Relationship building with writers, journalists, and bloggers with an emphasis on partnership.
- Social Media: with an emphasis on influencing the market and key messaging.
- Events: brand and hosted events for customers for community or likely customers.
- Word of Mouth: Carry out campaigns that get people talking about your brand, product and key message.
In PR, you may not have editorial control, so does not count on a strong call to action, although you may get a product recommendation or link, it will not often come with a heavy sales action. The best PR is earned PR that means it did not come with a quid-pro-quo and that’s part of what gives PR enhanced credibility and integrity over marketing. However this tactics they complement each other in making a successful busine
