Trust Gen to Lead Gen: The Link from PR to Sales

By Alexis Diehl, VP of Strategy

The battle for attention has never been as fierce as it is in today’s digital landscape. With new marketing strategies, algorithm updates and tools popping up every month, one tried-and-true — but ever-evolving — method stands out for its lasting impact: public relations. While PR is often associated with generating awareness, managing brand reputation and handling crises, its value extends far beyond those objectives. Public relations can act as a powerful tool for lead generation by leveraging third party validation to build trust with potential clients and customers and franchisees in ways that advertising simply cannot.

BUILDING CREDIBILITY 

Trust is a key factor in the decision-making process, especially in the B2B sector. PR can position your brand as a thought leader in your field. Whether it’s through expert quotes in articles, thought-leadership pieces, guest appearances on podcasts or positive press coverage, PR builds credibility. When prospective customers read about your company in reputable publications, hear you on their favorite podcasts or learn more about your products and services from trusted industry sources, it’s no surprise that your priority targets are more likely to trust in, engage with your business and moving down the sales funnel.

BOOSTING AWARENESS 

PR can, of course, do wonders for brand visibility. A well-placed feature in a major news outlet, trade publication or trusted website can introduce your brand to thousands, if not millions, of potential leads. Public relations doesn’t just broadcast your message; it delivers it to an audience that may never have heard of you otherwise. This increased exposure can generate inquiries, website traffic and social media engagement, all of which are crucial first steps in the lead-generation process.

LEVERAGING THIRD-PARTY VALIDATION

In a world where we’re assaulted with ads in every corner of the online landscape, consumers often tune out or distrust overt marketing. Public relations stands out for its focus on merit, not money. When a respected journalist, influencer or analyst endorses your product or service, it acts as a form of social validation. This type of endorsement can significantly improve the likelihood that potential leads will consider your offerings.

ESTABLISHING THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

PR provides businesses the opportunity to showcase their expertise. Thought leadership – through articles, whitepapers and media interviews –not only position your company as an authority but also offer valuable insights that prospects can relate to and trust. When potential customers see your organization providing expert opinions on relevant industry trends, they are more inclined to reach out for your expertise and solutions.

IMPROVING SEO

Many PR efforts result in high-quality backlinks to your website, especially when a story about your business is published online. These backlinks from trusted media sites can improve your website’s domain authority, driving organic search traffic. The higher your search ranking, the more likely potential leads will find you when looking for solutions in your industry. Today, page 1 Google results is truly the biggest media outlet in the world (a third of Google searches don’t result in a click!). In the long term, this strategy makes PR an essential component of inbound lead generation.

NURTURING INFLUENCER RELATIONSHIPS

PR isn’t just about securing media hits, but about building and nurturing relationships – with industry influencers, journalists and potential collaborators. Cultivating relationships with these key players can open the door to new business opportunities and referrals, indirectly fueling your lead-generation efforts. Additionally, when your brand consistently appears in reputable publications and platforms, it can attract influencers who are more likely to share your content with their networks.

BOLSTERING YOUR SITE TRAFFIC

Great SEO can lead all the traffic in the world to your site, but once you get prospects there, you need to give them a reason to stay. A regularly updated newsroom can play a significant role in achieving that goal, but the quality of your content needs to go beyond a collection of recent press releases. News coverage, educational blog content, franchisee success stories, and video content from guest appearances on reputable industry podcasts can boost visit length. The longer you keep a visitor engaged, the closer they get to submitting a lead form. 

NAVIGATING CHALLENGES

We all hope for nothing but smooth sailing, but challenging times are inevitable for any business. However, a strong PR team can empower you to you turn what might seem like a lose-lose situation into an opportunity to showcase how well your company handles adversity and the tides of change. Illustrating your problem-solving prowess is just one more way to position yourself as an attractive partner. 

INTEGRATING WITH LEAD GEN

To get the full value of PR for lead generation, it must be streamlined into your broader marketing plan. Here are some simple ways to make it even more effective:

• Align with Content Marketing: Use media coverage to fuel your content marketing strategy. Repurpose earned media into blog posts, social media updates and newsletters to keep your leads engaged.
• Leverage Social Media: Post media coverage on your brand and executives’ social platforms to reach followers who may have missed the original content.
• Track ROI: PR efforts can sometimes feel intangible, but it’s crucial to measure their impact. Track metrics such as website traffic spikes, backlink performance, social media engagement and inbound inquiries to assess the correlation of PR performance to your lead pipeline.

By building trust, boosting visibility and using third-party validation, PR helps businesses attract new leads naturally. When integrated into a holistic marketing strategy, alongside efforts like SEO and content, it can drive long-term growth and enable your business to stand out in a competitive market.