If you’re confusing Digital PR with Digital Marketing, don’t worry, you’re not alone. The lines have become increasingly blurry, especially as marketing teams scramble to get eyeballs online, and PR professionals double down on visibility and authority in the digital space. But while they may look similar on the surface, Digital PR and Digital Marketing serve different purposes, run on different timelines, and offer very different kinds of value.
At Agent99 – one of the leading PR Agencies in Sydney – we get asked this a lot. So, let’s break it down, jargon-free and un-sugar-coated!
First, What Is Digital PR?
Digital PR is the evolution of traditional PR into the online world. Think media placements, brand storytelling, reputation building, and thought leadership, but all focused on digital platforms. That means targeting online publications, podcasts, blogs, influencers, and content creators. It also includes backlinks (yes, SEO is your friend), Google search visibility, and how your brand is spoken about online.
A strong online PR strategy is about shaping your reputation and credibility in the spaces your customers spend their time – whether that’s reading AFR online, binging a business podcast on Spotify, or watching a TikToker review your product.
Done well, digital PR doesn’t just get you “out there”—it makes sure you’re in the right places, with the right message, at the right time.
OK, So What’s Digital Marketing Then?
Digital Marketing, on the other hand, is typically more sales-driven. It includes things like paid ads on Google or Meta, email marketing, SEM, PPC, programmatic campaigns, and performance-based tactics. Digital marketing is all about conversion metrics – clicks, signups, ROI – and often uses very short-term tactics to drive very specific outcomes.
So, while PR is about credibility and trust, digital marketing is about transactions and traffic. Both are crucial. But they’re not interchangeable.
The Key Differences: Digital PR vs Digital Marketing
Let’s get into the nitty-gritty. Here’s how digital PR differs from digital marketing across a few key areas:
1. Objectives
- Digital PR: Reputation, trust, authority, organic visibility.
- Digital Marketing: Traffic, leads, conversions, sales.
Think long-term brand value vs short-term wins. A killer online PR strategy builds equity for the future. Digital marketing chases KPIs today.
2. Channels
- Digital PR: Online news sites, podcasts, blogs, social media via earned or influencer collaborations.
- Digital Marketing: Paid ads (Google, Meta), email databases, e-commerce retargeting.
One works to earn your space through newsworthiness and value; the other pays for it.
3. Measurement
- Digital PR: Mentions, backlinks, domain authority, brand sentiment, social proof.
- Digital marketing: CTR, CPM, ROAS, CAC.
At Agent99, one of the go-to PR agencies in Sydney, we work closely with SEO teams to track how digital PR placements improve search rankings, organic traffic, and lead quality.
4. Tone and Tactics
- Digital PR: Strategic storytelling, relationship-building, media hooks.
- Digital marketing: A/B testing, funnels, optimisation.
Digital PR says: “Here’s why you should trust us.”
Digital marketing says: “Here’s 20% off—buy now.”
Why Brands Need Both (But Don’t Mix Them Up)
Digital Marketing is like caffeine: gives you a spike, fast. Digital PR is like good sleep: it sets your foundation and builds long-term health.
You can’t run ads forever without strong brand credibility to back them. And you can’t rely only on slow-burn media coverage if you need to scale fast. The smartest brands invest in both, but they don’t expect one to do the job of the other.
For example, if your business is launching a new product, a digital marketing agency might focus on Meta ads to generate clicks. Meanwhile, a savvy PR agency (yes, like us) would build a layered online PR strategy that secures features in relevant online publications, lines up influencers for UGC, and targets key media titles your audience actually trusts.
Together, that’s a 1-2 punch. But if you skip the digital PR? You’re shouting into the void with a credit card.
Why Choose PR Agencies in Sydney for Digital PR?
We’ll say it straight: not all PR agencies get digital PR. Some are still stuck chasing column inches in outdated formats. But the top PR agencies in Sydney—like Agent99—understand that online credibility isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s essential.
Whether you’re building backlinks for SEO, shaping thought leadership for LinkedIn, or launching a product to influencers and journos alike, we build digital PR campaigns that make a real impact. And because we also get strategy, storytelling, and what makes media actually care, your brand ends up in the places that matter.
Final Word: Strategy Over Stunts
Let’s be clear: a flashy ad campaign or a “viral” TikTok moment is fun, but it won’t sustain your reputation. digital PR is what gives your brand roots. It’s slower, yes. But it’s also smarter.
So, before you throw another grand into a quick-win marketing funnel, ask: what’s my longer-term online PR strategy? Am I building credibility, or just clicks?
And if the answer is “I don’t know”—you know where to find us.
Agent Sharon
