PR vs Marketing: What’s the Difference for Startups and SMEs?

For many startups and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), PR and marketing are often used interchangeably. Both aim to grow a business, raise awareness and ultimately increase revenue. But while they work best together, public relations and marketing are not the same thing, and understanding the difference is essential if you want to spend your budget wisely.

So what exactly separates PR from marketing, and which one should UK startups and SMEs prioritise?

What is Marketing?

Marketing is about promoting and selling your product or service. It’s the discipline focused on generating demand and driving customer action.

This usually includes:

• Advertising (paid social, Google Ads, print, out-of-home)
• Email marketing and CRM
• SEO and content marketing
• Social media campaigns
• Sales funnels and lead generation

Marketing asks: “How do we get people to buy?”

It’s often measurable in short-term metrics such as:

• Click-through rates
• Conversions
• Cost per lead
• Return on ad spend

Marketing is controlled by you: you decide the message, the creative and where it appears. If you pay for the space, your brand shows up.

What is PR?

Public relations focuses on reputation, credibility and trust. Rather than selling directly, PR shapes how your business is perceived by the public, customers, investors and the media.

PR activities typically include:

• PR campaigns and stunts
• Media relations
• Earned press coverage
• Thought leadership and expert commentary
• Founder profiling
• Crisis communications
• Brand storytelling
• Corporate reputation management

PR asks: “What do people think about us?”

Unlike marketing, PR is not fully in your control. You don’t pay journalists to write about you. Instead, you earn attention by having something genuinely newsworthy or insightful to say.

This earned visibility creates:

• Authority
• Social proof
• Long-term brand value

The Core Difference

In simple terms:

Marketing = paid influence
PR = earned trust

Marketing gets your message in front of people.
PR makes that message believable.

For example, a paid advert telling customers you’re the best fintech startup in the UK is marketing. A respected business publication featuring your founder as a fintech expert is PR. One is promotion; the other is validation.

Why the Difference Matters for Startups and SMEs

For early-stage businesses, budget is limited and reputation is fragile. You don’t yet have household-name recognition, and customers are deciding whether to trust you with their money, data or time.

This is where PR becomes particularly valuable.

Startups often rely heavily on performance marketing because it’s quick and trackable. However, without credibility behind it, ads can feel hollow. PR builds the narrative that makes your marketing more effective.

Strong PR can:

• Make sales conversations easier
• Reduce resistance from buyers
• Improve conversion rates
• Help attract investors and partners
• Support recruitment

For UK SMEs operating in competitive sectors, PR can also help you:

• Stand out from bigger brands
• Position yourself as a specialist
• Build authority in your niche

PR is Not Just “Press Coverage”

A common misconception is that PR equals “getting in the papers”. Modern PR is broader than that.

Effective PR for startups and SMEs includes:

• Shaping your brand story
• Defining your voice and values
• Building relationships with journalists
• Helping founders become visible experts
• Managing what happens when things go wrong

Press coverage is one output but strategy, messaging and positioning come first.

When Should a Startup Focus on Marketing?

Marketing is crucial when:

• You have a clear product or service
• You know who your audience is
• You want predictable lead flow
• You are ready to scale

Marketing helps you grow revenue. It turns awareness into action.

For many startups, marketing is the engine. But PR is the fuel quality.

When Should a Startup Focus on PR?

PR is most powerful when:

• You are launching something new
• You are trying to build trust in a crowded market
• You want to attract investors
• You are positioning founders as thought leaders
• You need credibility fast

If people don’t yet know who you are, PR helps answer: “Why should I care?”

Why PR and Marketing Work Best Together

PR and marketing are not competitors, they’re partners.

PR:

• Creates authority
• Builds reputation
• Strengthens your story

Marketing:

• Amplifies that story
• Drives action
• Converts interest into sales

A startup featured in the media will often see:

• Higher engagement on ads
• Better open rates on emails
• Stronger social proof
• Lower acquisition costs

Because people trust brands they recognise.

What This Means for UK Startups and SMEs

In the UK, where competition is fierce and trust matters, especially in sectors like tech, finance, healthcare and professional services, PR can be a major differentiator.

Marketing helps you grow faster.
PR helps you grow stronger.

Startups that rely only on marketing risk looking transactional. Startups that rely only on PR risk lacking momentum. The most successful businesses use both, with a clear understanding of what each is designed to achieve.

If marketing is the voice shouting about your business, PR is the reputation that makes people listen.

For startups and SMEs, the real question isn’t “PR or marketing?”, it’s “how do we use them together?”

Because awareness without trust is noise. And trust without visibility goes nowhere.

‍