We at HRmarketer.com are "Marketing PR" evangelists, and we've been discussing the concept for months now. Marketing PR is the combining of what are traditionally two separate departments (PR and marketing) to one united front whereby all marketing and PR activities support marketing objectives (lead generation) versus traditional PR metrics (media placements) - and it's rapidly gaining in popularity!
The difference between traditional PR and Marketing PR is best illustrated with a press release. Traditional PR writes and distributes a press release for the sole purpose of securing media placements, whereas in Marketing PR the release is used to not only secure placements but also to enhance website SEO and to generate sales leads.
HRmarketer's own research shows increasing numbers of HR marketers shifting their marketing dollars from brand-building activities to direct response-oriented promotional activities such as direct marketing (print and email) and interactive marketing (online advertising). And while best-practice marketing plans still include participation in events, press releases, advertising, direct marketing, byline articles, white papers, webcasts and SEO, the difference with Marketing PR is that it’s integrated to focus on lead generation. Marketing PR is attractive to HR suppliers because unlike traditional PR, it is easy to measure - you either generate leads or you don't.
Here are some best-practice "Marketing PR" activities we recommend:
1. Write a white paper on a topic that resonates with your buyers.
2. Create a Landing Page on your website whereby you'll direct visitors (prospects) to complete a contact form and have the white paper emailed to them (this is the basis for how you will collect sales leads). On the download form, include a checkbox whereby visitors can sign-up for a webcast to discuss the white paper. Also make sure to provide a detailed summary of the white paper on this page for SEO purposes.
3. Announce a new white paper or research report (the "offer") to the media with a press release and pitch letter tailored to the journalist community.
4. Announce the offering to targeted eNewsletters and Web portals that accept such announcements to build demand of the offering with your targeted buyers.
5. Promote the availability of the "offer" to prospective buyers with press releases tailored to buyers - distributed to the Internet search engines by using only Direct2Net. Be sure to include embedded hyperlinks to enhance your site's SEO. Please post the release on your website.
6. Change headline of the release and re-release to the Internet once per week for 4 to 5 weeks.
7. Announce the white paper to targeted buyers with a direct email campaign using a rented list from an eNewsletter or other publication your buyers subscribe to.
8. Place a targeted online ad on a website and/or eNewsletter your buyers frequent or subscribe to.
9. Place a condensed version of the white paper as a byline article in a key publication your buyers read.
10. Conduct the webcast on the white paper to those who signed up for it. You may also issue another press release to Internet that promotes this webcast. Also please post your webcast on HRmarketer's popular Human Resource Webinars site (free to HRmarketer members).
11. Reload with new "offer" and go back to Step #1.
Download our free Marketing PR report today!