Four steps to successful integrated PR (& Marketing) for 2022

What is integrated PR and why has it matured now?

Integrated PR is PR you wrap around your marketing activities to create impact and effect.  It is a multi-channel approach that broadens your reach and makes your budget work harder by delivering your comms through the channels your audiences consume most often.

It’s no secret that reaching your key stakeholders through multiple communication channels is essential in today’s digital world. The fields of public relations and marketing are fast evolving in this new landscape, and there’s a pressing need for the once separate departments to work together.

But, while there’s plenty of information out there about the value of integrated marketing and PR campaigns, there’s little practical guidance on how to get started. So, it’s no wonder that teams are often left confused about how to build a collaborative relationship.

To get you on the right road for the year ahead, we believe there are four key steps to get right.

1 Set strategic objectives

You don’t set out on a journey without knowing where you want to go. That’s the first rule of marketing and PR: defining what you want to achieve – that’s to develop the brand, position the company with its buying markets, drive traffic to your website or generate enquiries. Clear objectives give you something to aim for, measure success, and better determine what could be done better.

2 Build cohesive content

It’s crucial to ensure your integrated strategy has a strong foundation of clear, cohesive messaging which is tailored specifically to what your potential customer wants to know at every stage of their purchasing journey.

And in the buyer-led world, content is king. You need to attract the right customers and lead them through each stage of the sales cycle. Creating that great content and placing it where buyers are looking doesn’t happen by accident. It takes a good content strategy, research and expertise.

3 Get the tactics right

Once you have your goals and messaging aligned, it’s time to plan actionable measures to reach your goals.

A vital part of this plan will be the platforms you’re using to tell your stories. And the best integrated campaigns consider a mix of Paid, Earned, Owned and Social (or shared) (PESO) channels. This means that you’re using advertising, ‘free’ editorial, your own web channels and social media to promote your messages – meeting your audiences at every one of their touchpoints.

4 Prioritise measurement

Your cohesive plan must be held to specific metrics and measured against your specific (and holistic) objectives. This is how you can define success, learn what to change and how to target your audience more effectively.

Measurement means you can shore up budgets and show your value to those who matter most – your clients or the Board – who ultimately decide whether marketing and PR is an imperative business essential.

Integrating your PR and Marketing

So, we believe that a successul integrated PR and marketing strategy is no longer an option, but a requirement for those who want to stay competitive in the marketplace over the year ahead.

Still not sure where to start? We can help. EC-PR has been running an integrated approach to marketing and comms for more than a decade and we have put together a handy Integrated PR guide to help. Then  book a call – we’ve got you covered.