Flipping the Perception of PR from “Nice to Have” to Revenue Driver

Imagine the CFO of a B2B company calling a meeting and saying: “we went through our budget and decided we’re going to cut back on revenue.”   

Of course, this would never happen. But companies do sometimes call meetings and announce they are cutting back on PR and marketing, which means they are indirectly also cutting back on revenue. Too often, PR is seen as a “nice-to-have” rather than a key component of business growth, and a company’s reputation, brand, and financial performance can all suffer as a result.   

PR’s Role in the Sales Funnel  

Flipping perception begins with looking at PR’s role through the entire sales funnel.   

Top of the Funnel – PR Builds Awareness and Credibility   

One of the most classic marketing rules is that people need to know, like, and trust you before they will even consider doing business with you. PR gives you the ability to establish subject matter expertise and authority in your industry. Prospects get a “try before you buy” taste of what you offer, which piques their interest so they move to the middle of the funnel. Plus, at the top of the funnel, PR only seems like a “nice to have” until something goes wrong, and then a company faces the brand-damaging and costly impacts of bad press.   

The Middle of the Funnel – PR Amplifies Sales Efforts and Drives Decision-Making   

In the middle of the funnel, PR helps develop the crucial aspect of trust. PR ensures that your brand story is compelling, consistent, and prominently featured in credible outlets, shaping how prospective clients perceive your expertise and authority. According to the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer, earned media from PR strategies outperforms paid ads or ongoing brand messages in terms of customer trust. Since sales are required to drive revenue, and trust is required to drive sales, building trust through PR ultimately contributes to revenue.  

The Bottom of the Funnel – PR Shortens the Sales Process   
In the sales process, explaining the value of your company to someone who has never heard of you takes much longer than explaining the value of your company to someone who already has a clear and positive perception of your business. PR reduces friction in the sales process and gives customers the confidence in your company to move from the bottom of the funnel to a final sale.  

In other words, PR can shorten the sales cycle. It allows B2B companies and service businesses to move people through the funnel more quickly and with less effort on the sales team’s part. The faster people move through the funnel, the faster sales teams can move on to the next batch of prospects, increasing revenue backed by the power of PR.