You know the drill. Marketing runs campaigns, sales closes deals, PR gets coverage, and everyone swears they’re working toward the same goals. In reality? The truth is that sometimes PR is left on an island until someone needs a press release “ASAP” or a media mention to make a board member happy.
According to Convey’s State of B2B Public Relations Report, 90% of B2B marketing leaders see big benefits in stronger integration between PR, sales, and marketing. And 62% of marketers say their top priority is making that integration happen. Translation: the industry knows PR is more than a megaphone. It’s a driver of pipeline, influence, and trust. The only problem is making it work in real life can be a challenge if not managed appropriately.
Here are five ways to stop playing silo wars and actually get PR, sales, and marketing working together like they mean it.
What you’ll learn:
- How PR can align with sales metrics to prove real business impact
- Why including PR early in product planning strengthens launches
- How PR can turn customer insights into stronger relationships and loyalty
- Why giving PR access to existing content hubs keeps messaging consistent
- How celebrating wins across teams builds momentum and buy-in
1. Share Goals and Metrics Early and Often
Sales will always measure success in closed-won deals, that’s not changing. The challenge for PR is finding clearer ways to influence those deals and show that impact. Instead of tracking on completely different planes, like PR focusing on media hits and sales on revenue, teams need metrics that connect the dots between awareness and pipeline.
In a dream scenario, this looks like quarterly alignment where sales, marketing, and PR share targets and KPIs. But in reality, sales and marketing meet often, and PR is rarely brought in. That’s the gap.
PR’s role is to make both marketing and sales look stronger. The only way to do that is with access: invite PR into the meetings you already have so they can tie stories, coverage, and campaigns directly to the outcomes sales cares about.
QUICK FIX: Invite the PR team to monthly or quarterly sales meetings or send them a recap or recording so they can stay informed.
2. Invite PR Part in on the Product Marketing Process
If PR only hears about a product launch a week before the marketing email goes live, you’ve missed the boat. PR should be in the loop so they can identify story angles, plan embargoes, and build strategy ahead of time.
When PR has visibility into product roadmaps, positioning docs, etc., they can surface storylines and align coverage with the exact value props sales and marketing will be using. This turns launches from one-off announcements into integrated campaigns where every channel (earned, owned, and paid) works smarter together.
A strong press hit tied to a product launch doesn’t just generate buzz; it reinforces the product marketing message and accelerates sales cycles by giving third-party validation.
QUICK FIX: Give PR access to product roadmaps and positioning briefs as they are being created. Invite them to campaign kickoffs so they can translate product features into media-ready hooks before launch day.
3. Use PR for Stronger Relationships with Customers and Prospects
Sales hears the real story from the market before the deal closes: the objections, the must-haves, the trends. Once a deal is signed, customer success becomes the front line for insights into how customers are actually using your product, what they love, and where they want to see improvements. Both sets of insights are storytelling gold, and PR just needs access to them.
PR can help here by spotlighting customers in ways that make them look good. Submitting them for industry awards, featuring them in media interviews, or co-authoring thought leadership pieces positions them as leaders while deepening the relationship with your brand. When PR turns customer wins into public recognition, you’re not just telling stories, you’re creating loyalty.
QUICK FIX: Got a customer with a standout use case? Nominate them for an industry award or feature them in a press story. It’s a win for both their brand and yours.
4. Add PR to a Shared Content Ecosystem
Chances are, your company already has a central hub where sales and marketing share content, campaigns, and messaging. The problem is, PR is often left out. Without that access, PR can’t amplify what’s already working or stay aligned on priority themes.
When PR is plugged into the same hub, coverage can be repurposed into blog posts, sales assets, and email campaigns instead of sitting in a silo. Likewise, if sales and marketing are prioritizing an industry, say, Manufacturing for the quarter, PR should know so they can pitch media angles, customer stories, and thought leadership that reinforce that focus.
Consistency across teams doesn’t require creating something new; it just requires opening the door for PR.
QUICK FIX: Add PR to your existing content hub or calendar. Share quarterly industry priorities so PR can pitch stories that match what sales and marketing are driving.
5. Measure and Celebrate Wins Together
Got coverage in a top-tier publication? Celebrate it. If PR coverage sparks a spike in demo requests, celebrate it. If a sales team member’s LinkedIn post gets picked up in an industry publication, celebrate that, too. Wins build momentum, and momentum is contagious.
Measure both the hard numbers and the softer signals like brand sentiment. Share results in team meetings so everyone understands the role they played. And don’t be stingy with credit, it’s a lot easier to get buy-in for integration when people feel seen.
QUICK FIX: Set up a Slack channel where teams can easily see and celebrate wins together. Consider sending an email recap company-wide that shares both sales and PR wins.
The Bottom Line
The numbers are in. Integration between PR, sales, and marketing is what sets successful organizations apart from the rest. CMOs who treat PR as a core part of the revenue engine will see faster wins, stronger brand trust, and fewer last-minute fire drills.
Pick one of these five strategies, put it into play this quarter, and watch the silos start to crumble.