“We need PR to drive sales.” Red flag.
Cue the internal sigh.
For many agencies, this is where the education begins. Because PR isn’t ever about direct conversions, it’s about building credibility, shaping perception, and ensuring that when your brand is talked about, it’s talked about in the right way, by the right people, in the right places.
If PR were purely about driving sales, it would just be another extension of performance marketing. But it’s not. It operates on a different playing field, one where trust, reputation, relationships, and influence are the currency, not just clicks and conversions.
Let’s set the record straight on what PR is for, versus what it’s wrongly expected to be…
PR doesn’t push for the immediate sale. Instead, it creates the conditions for a conversation to happen naturally (at the right time), by helping people discover your brand and engage with your story. By adding value for your target audience, without the desire to convert in the mix, you create touchpoints that act as trust signals, ultimately helping your brand to become more credible in the eyes of the consumer.
Think about the brands you like the most.
Did you buy from them because of an aggressive or repetitive ad campaign? Because their content was all about their product or service and nothing else?
This is such a turn off and drives consumers away from brands they may have previously liked or considered purchasing from.
Think instead, was it because you kept hearing about them from trusted sources, paid attention to their industry experts when cited or profiled, were delighted by timely and well-aligned partnerships and content campaigns that inspired rather than coerced conversion, and perhaps you also started to notice real conversations from real people in your real life or online community that held a brand in high esteem.
All these things are natural trust signals, laying the groundwork and creating touchpoints so that when you were ready to discover a brand or take a considered step, it didn’t feel forced.
That’s PR at work.
All these things don’t necessarily lead to an immediate spike in traffic, or guarantee sales, but they build authority and credibility, over time, which is what fuels long-term natural brand growth.
If you’re looking for PR to be your lead-gen machine, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
But if you want to be the brand people believe in, talk about, and turn to first, PR is where you should be investing.
PR works best when it’s not rushed. Gone are the days of scrambling for media coverage at all costs. The best PR pros don’t just chase headlines, they craft narratives that matter, and those stories aren’t always best executed through the press.
Yet still, there’s a growing expectation that PR should be hyper-responsive, available at all hours, and constantly “on.”
But the truth? Great PR isn’t built in inboxes afterhours. It comes from deep thinking, strategic positioning, and knowing when to speak out and when to wait.
Here’s what happens when PR is done right:
Your brand isn’t just visible, it’s relevant
Not all media coverage is created equal. PR isn’t about stacking up press hits but inserting a brand into the conversations that actually matter to your audience.
Your messaging is sharp, not scattered
PR isn’t just about getting any type of exposure. It’s about saying something meaningful, not just saying something for the sake of it. When your PR pro says no to an angle or suggests a pivot to another method of execution, listen to them – because press outreach might not be it every time around.
You build relationships, not just contact lists
The best relationships aren’t transactional. Journalists, influencers, other PRs, all choose to work with PR people who bring them valuable, well-thought-out stories, with consistency, accuracy and timeliness. Acting quick is often expected, but the ‘win’ is not just reserved for those who reply the fastest.
If you’re expecting your PR agency to be in constant reaction mode, you’re probably not getting their best work.
Beyond outreach and campaign execution, a PRs real value to a brand is in their innate aptitude for diplomacy and strategy. Good PRs have the keen ability to step back, think strategically, and work out the best ways to craft stories that actually land. Less sometimes equals way more in the long run.
PR is About Earning Attention, Rather Than Demanding It.
In a world oversaturated with ads, transactional influencer arrangements, and ill-guided brand noise, PR is what helps tidy up messaging that has better potential to cut through.
That’s the kind of value that lasts.
So, the next time someone asks, “How will PR drive sales?”, the real answer is:
“It won’t. But it will make sure people trust you enough to buy when they’re ready.”
And that? That’s the real power of PR.
