Rembrandt's PR and Writing Blog for Startup Success – PR and Marketing Work Together

Yesterday, I spoke to Daniel Gaugler, marketing manager of PrintingForLess.com (PFL), an award-winning business based in Livingston, Montana that provides high-quality, online commercial printing.

Since PFL is one of the fastest growing private companies in the country, I asked Daniel for his input on how marketing and PR efforts work together to increase customers, growth and overall business success.

Here’s what Daniel had to say:

In your opinion, what is the difference between marketing and public relations?
Public relations is just one part of marketing, as marketing is made up of many things. PR is the process of actively managing the communications of your organization by telling the story your potential customers want to hear.

How do marketing and public relations activities work together to help small businesses succeed?
Your PR efforts should be centered on getting the right message to the people you care about; your potential prospects, customers and investors. Your PR and marketing messages should both be telling the same story to this audience. By integrating your PR efforts with your marketing efforts you will be able to increase both the frequency, reach and effectiveness of your marketing spend.

How have you combined marketing and public relations efforts to help with PFL's fast growth?
At PFL, we use our publicity on our website as a third-party validation to reduce the fear or uncertainty customers might have when making a large purchase online. We also use our media mentions as a sales tool and in our advertising efforts.

One of the added benefits of our public-relations efforts has been the ability to recruit top talent from across the country, which is always important in a fast growing company.

Do you think it is important to pursue both marketing and publicity activities in order to increase sales cost-effectively?
PR can be a very cost-effective form of marketing when it’s integrated with your overall marketing plan. Getting your story heard can help you reach potential customers and add credibility to your brand.

What tips can you offer entrepreneurs to help increase profits by using a combination of PR and marketing efforts?
Make sure you’re telling the right story. Not the story you want to hear, but the one that matters to your customers. Be genuine in your messaging, you can't fake it.

Thanks for your insights Daniel!

What are your thoughts on how PR works with marketing? Please feel free to share your comments below. And if you'd like more information about PR and marketing, please visit www.rembrandtwrites.com to get my monthly newsletter full of valuable PR tips. Thanks!