We get this question a lot: “What’s the difference between marketing and PR?”
It’s a fair one, especially in fintech, where both activities often overlap and work toward similar goals.

At a high level, marketing and PR are two sides of the same coin. They both help you get seen, heard, and taken seriously. But they do it in different ways.

Marketing is built to drive action

Marketing is about getting the right message to the right people at the right time, and prompting them to do something. 

It includes things like content creation, such as social media posts, blogs for your website, digital ads, emails, and SEO.

It’s measurable, targeted, and often focused on lead generation and conversion. In short, it’s how you get your product in front of the people who might buy it.

PR is built to build trust

PR, on the other hand, is about shaping how people think and feel about your company. What they associate it with and its reputation. It’s about credibility and getting your voice into industry conversations, landing coverage in respected publications and positioning your team as experts.

PR doesn’t always have an immediate call to action, but its impact is powerful. When done well, it makes your audience more likely to trust you when your marketing does reach them.

They work best together

The truth is that most fintech companies need both to succeed. You can have the smartest campaign in the world, but if no one’s ever heard of you, or you’re missing that external credibility, it’s harder to convert interest into action.

Likewise, strong PR without any marketing support can fall flat. You might get the attention, but what’s the next step for someone who’s curious about your solution?

When marketing and PR are aligned, you create a loop:

• PR gets you into the right conversations
• Marketing gives people a clear path to follow
• Together, they build momentum

So, do you need both?

If you’re trying to grow awareness, build trust, and bring in business, then yes, you probably do.

The good news? You don’t need to double your budget. You just need a strategy that connects the dots.

Ready to get started? Speak to one of our experts today!