PR-Keting: The ROI Driven Future of Public Relations
Has Traditional Public Relations (PR) Become Obsolete?
Okay I know what you’re thinking – yet another contrarian, click-baity headline to get me to read how a legacy industry is decaying due to the technology du jour.
This isn’t the same type of post.
Okay, with an image like that, maybe it is. Hear me out.
First of all, I’m not alone in this. I decided to compose this post based on what I’m seeing today:
Many companies today are unhappy with legacy PR resources and performance – there is a dramatic shift in how their audiences consume news and self-educate regarding their brands and products, and
In-house PR experts are being let go – many of my PR colleagues are either unhappy with how they are leveraged for Go To Market motions, or are fearing layoffs, therefore
PR firms are pivoting to expand services to meet evolving demand – and businesses are expecting it
Again, the keyword PHRASE here is “legacy PUBLIC RELATIONS”
I’m defining “legacy” as the nearly 50 year old tactical parry & joust that is your company does something they consider newsworthy, often guided by a PR strategy, then initiates outreach to the largest tier publications they can find.
This is done by leveraging either long-standing relationships with journalists, or nagging outreach to court these journalists and plant a news-worthy, headline-ready story in their lap.
The Current State of B2B Public Relations
There’s a rising tension between PR agencies and in-house teams, fueled by the perception that PR agencies are not “delivering.”
This trend is complicated by a media landscape in which there are many more communicators than reporters.
There’s also increasing pressure on clients of all sizes and stages to be more visible among their customers, buyers, and investors with fewer comms team members and less budget.
This snippet from Cision’s “The Art of Social PR” summarizes it best:
“The role of the modern PR and communications professional is much different than it was a few years ago.
Not only are executives relying more on PR and communications teams to provide competitive insight and offer strategic counsel, PR is under more pressure than ever to prove the value of their efforts with solid data.
On top of this, the media landscape has only gotten more complex in recent years – thanks in large part to the widespread adoption of social media.Social [media has] put the power of a brand’s reputation into consumers’ hands. Social gives consumers a platform unlike any they’ve ever had before, effectively giving them power to influence brand reputation and directly communicate with each other on brand feedback. Social has changed PR campaign management. With the digital shift, consumers are now sharing their thoughts and values directly with brands and each other, whereas before, journalists controlled more of this message.”
Positive PR performance has become a carrot on a stick for everyone involved, and it's heavily reliant on “legacy PR”.
The Problem: Limitations of Legacy PR
Again, I’m defining “Legacy PR” as the traditional approach to public relations that centers around securing coverage in top-tier publications by leveraging relationships with journalists – often performed in a vacuum – outside of marketing activities and sales efforts.
This method often involves companies promoting something they deem "newsworthy" and reaching out to journalists via a “pitch” in an attempt to get them to publish a story.
Legacy PR relies on two major assumptions:
That the only way to get “Tier 1” publication reach is through a relationship with a journalist, and
That your audience even cares to get their news from a “Tier 1” publication any longer
are those assumptions still valid? Here’s why they aren’t.
Shrinking newsrooms and staff shortages. Many journalists are now generalists, making it harder to target pitches effectively. Recent layoffs have accelerated a decline in newsrooms and media outlets that has been happening for decades. Journalists are stretched thinner and are no longer able to be specialists focused on one beat. In other words, reporters are having to cover more topics and are also getting inundated with a wider swath of pitches.
Shift in audience news consumption: Audiences are moving away from traditional media outlets to social media and alternative sources like podcasts and newsletters.
As more established outlets flounder, new publications and mediums will emerge. Julia Angwin, formerly of The Markup, recently launched Proof News, where she and her team will draw on scientific methods to conduct investigative journalism. Podcasts continue to grow in popularity with an estimated 192 million Americans having listened to them, which is more than ever before.
And newsletters continue to be a growing platform for journalism, with reporters like Erin Reed, who covers LGBTQ+ rights on Substack, and Casey Newton, who covers technology and democracy on his newsletter, Platformer, making waves.
The Institute for PR's study on trusted news sources (published in April of 2024) highlights a generational shift that emphasizes the above points.
While older generations still rely on broadcast and cable news, these mediums are losing popularity among younger demographics.
This suggests that PR professionals aiming to connect with younger audiences (and likely all audiences in the future) should prioritize social media and online news, with email newsletters as a secondary option.
The problem is clear – PR professionals and marketers must adapt and evolve their media strategies.
The Solution: Embracing PR-Keting
What is "PR-Keting"? It’s simply a blend of legacy PR strategy and modern marketing tactics.
"PR-Keting" focuses on reaching target audiences where they are, rather than relying solely on securing coverage in major publications, as the focus of PR efforts.
Let’s get even simpler – if you’re in PR, you can’t just keep billing for pitches – you’ll likely be fired.
Instead, implement modern PR tactics that fall under the "PR-Keting" umbrella to enhance a Legacy PR strategy.
Do these intersect with classic “brand & demand” marketing?
Yes. That’s the point; you need to get closer to marketing-led tactics to tie your efforts closer to ROI and scale alongside GTM teams for success.
Let’s get to some of the tactics:
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Influencers are increasingly important for shaping brand perception and consumer choices. PR professionals can harness this influence through collaborations, endorsements, or recommendations.
This strategy is particularly effective given the rising distrust of traditional media and the growing popularity of platforms like TikTok and Instagram. However, influencers' trustworthiness varies, so careful selection is crucial to ensure alignment with brand values and target audiences.
There are a handful of influencer platforms that all claim to do the same thing, essentially helping you find "vetted" influencers. Test and evaluate several platforms – like Favikon, ivee.so, and modash.io – to find actual influencers with verified audiences.
I recommend testing a mix of the trials / freemium versions to see if they pan out and then scale from there. As of writing this, I’ve only personally used Favikon with mixed results, and have been recommended the others.
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Positioning company leaders or experts as thought leaders by sharing their "hot takes," contrarian viewpoints, and experiential stories can build credibility and attract media attention. This can involve creating content like blog posts, articles, or videos that showcase their expertise and offer valuable insights to the audience.
From ZenMedia’s 2024 B2B Marketing Trends:
“Trust is truly the number one thing that your potential customers are looking for. In fact, they’re more likely to buy from a brand they trust but don’t like than from a brand they like but don’t trust…And don’t underestimate the power of thought leadership, which can be an excellent long-term PR investment for your brand.”
You have a thought leader in your organization somewhere. They are experts in the product category, or coding methodology, sales process, financial best practices, or somewhere within the industry.
Find them and get their authenticity front and center to ensure your product is part of the greater story.
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Podcasts have become a popular channel for reaching target audiences. Research shows that roughly four in 10 people listen to podcasts daily–with that percentage being even higher in managers (27%), executives and leadership roles (51%), and business owners and founders (55%).
This isn’t news.
PR professionals can leverage this trend by creating their own podcasts or partnering with existing ones to share their message, build thought leadership, and engage with niche communities.
At previous organizations I’ve leveraged targeted ABM account lists as podcast guests on the ideation side with ROI positive results.
This intersects with PR in post-production, where podcast snippets and recordings can be used to build long-tail media pitches and thought leadership for joining larger podcasts or speaking engagements.
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This involves creating newsworthy activities or campaigns that generate buzz and attention, potentially leveraging controversy or virality.
The goal is to spark conversations and generate media coverage, thereby driving awareness and interest in the brand.
It’s a media campaign designed to become news-worthy so PR efforts can amplify results.
The formula is simple:
spend media budget on a high value awareness campaign
generate demand using an interactive call to action
nest in a viral loop through a unique value proposition, “contrarian hot take”, or extremely unique and creative approach to delivery
Easier said than done, but one recent B2B campaign that did this well was the ‘Who Killed ABM’ play by Inverta. It combined a popular consumer obsession in the streaming era – true crime documentaries – which are easy to discover based on viewer data, with the controversial take that “ABM is dead”.
Another angle is doing traditional “trend-jacking”, which involves capitalizing on current trends and breaking news stories by crafting relevant and timely content.
This can help boost visibility and relevance in a crowded media landscape.
For example, if there is breaking news about a relevant environmental issue, a company could release a statement highlighting their sustainability practices by claiming that “Global Warming is a Hoax” and riding the controversial topical debate to increased awareness.
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Actively monitoring social media conversations and online reviews using tools like SproutSocial and HootSuite enables PR professionals to engage in relevant discussions, address concerns, and manage brand reputation.
By responding to intent-based keywords, brand mentions, and customer feedback, they can proactively shape brand perception and mitigate potential crises.
Where should you focus? LinkedIn.
61% of PR professionals plan to increase their LinkedIn use, while only 15% will focus more on X/Twitter. LinkedIn is far and away the most used social network for social media and communications strategies with 84% of PR pros citing the platform. 56% of PR professionals prioritize LinkedIn for social listening activities, using it to monitor conversations, track brand mentions, and gain valuable insights.
Why? B2B sellers are increasingly using LinkedIn to engage with B2B leaders who are publishing thought leadership to get noticed. It’s becoming a major ecosystem of subject matter experts in terms of both teaching and learning.
I also recommend leveraging community tools like The Hive Index to explore niche communities relevant to your audiences that can also be easily monitored.
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Utilizing platforms like Cision or Muckrake allows PR professionals to proactively pitch their expertise to journalists seeking specific information. This can help secure valuable media coverage and build relationships with reporters.
While these platforms are currently evolving (as of writing this, HARO is being discontinued), the “pitch and close” method is now becoming the “nurture and convert” process for consistently updating journalists on categorical thought leadership.
By consistently publishing relevant articles over time, PR teams are essentially performing ABM outreach across different journalists, publications, and influencers to gain reach.
This can involve ABM tactics like leveraging micro-targeted paid media campaigns directly to publishers, journalists, and media targets to gain awareness of an upcoming pitch.
This requires reaching across the aisle to a demand generation or ABM specialist to treat publications and audiences as target accounts, then crafting a journey to get them to pick up your product story.
By incorporating these marketing tactics into their "PR-keting" strategy, public relations professionals can move beyond the limitations of legacy PR and effectively connect with their target audiences in the modern media landscape.
The Biggest Key Aspect of PR-Keting: ROI
Here’s the rub about PR-Keting:
Once you start acting like a marketer, you get measured like a marketer
This requires PR teams to shift their focus from traditional coverage metrics (media mentions, impressions, and share of voice) to a more data-driven decision-making approach typically tied to marketing efforts.
The Institute for Public Relations (IPR) emphasizes the importance of measuring PR efforts and using the resulting data to refine strategies by shifting focus from outputs (e.g., media coverage) to outcomes (e.g., sales, leads, customer engagement). This is achieved by tying PR activities to key business initiatives and demonstrate their contribution to organizational goals.
Here’s what I’m talking about in terms of tangible goals & KPIs
These have also been confirmed by PR experts via the Forbes Agency Council in 2024::
Website Traffic and Conversions from referral sources, particularly from media placements secured through PR efforts, as a valuable indicator of PR impact. Tracking website conversions, such as sign-ups, downloads, or purchases originating from PR-driven traffic, can provide a more direct measure of ROI.
Lead Generation as a key outcome of PR activities. This can involve tracking the number of leads generated through PR-driven content, events, or media coverage, as well as the quality and conversion rate of those leads.
Sales and Revenue Growth as the most impactful measure of PR-Keting ROI. While attributing specific sales to PR efforts can be challenging, tracking sales trends following PR campaigns or analyzing customer data to identify purchase influences can provide insights into PR's impact on the bottom line.
Social media engagement as a measure of interactions, shares, and comments on PR-related content. Cision's social PR report echoes these sentiments, underscoring the value of social listening tools. These tools provide insights into audience sentiment, brand mentions, and emerging trends, which are crucial for informing channel selection and crafting relevant messaging.
Customer surveys and feedback through surveys or online reviews can help assess the impact of PR on brand loyalty and purchase intent, and is clearly tied to metrics like NPS and NRR.
However, as any experienced marketer will tell you, measuring the success of PR-Keting presents unique challenges. Attributing specific business outcomes solely to PR efforts can be tricky, especially when multiple marketing channels are at play.
Additionally, the impact of PR-Keting often unfolds over the long term, focusing on brand building and reputation rather than immediate sales figures.
Don’t you wish this magical attribution dashboard actually existed?
Evaluating these long-term effects demands a more nuanced approach. To accurately gauge PR-Keting ROI, businesses must integrate data from diverse sources like media monitoring tools, website analytics, and social listening platforms.
This multifaceted approach allows for a comprehensive understanding of the true impact of PR-Keting efforts.
My RevOps colleagues will love that I only mentioned this in the last 2 sentences of this article. It’s a lot harder than it sounds, and entire departments exist to chase the dragon of revenue attribution.
PR's Evolution: Adapting to Thrive
The PR landscape is evolving, and professionals must adapt to remain effective. By embracing PR-Keting and focusing on measurable ROI, PR teams can navigate this shift successfully, ensuring their strategies remain impactful and aligned with modern audience behaviors and business goals.
It's time to redefine PR's role in the marketing mix and leverage its full potential in today's dynamic media environment.
As usual, I’m speaking from experience.
Want to see PR-Keting results for yourself by working with me on a specific project or marketing program?
