Public Relations, or PR, has been a long-standing practice of managing the reputation of a business or individual in the media. Whether that’s promoting their work to influence public perception or managing difficult situations to mitigate damage. For a long time all of this work was done through articles in newspapers and magazines or later using the TV.
But did you know that PR isn’t just for print anymore? Like most forms of marketing, PR has migrated into the digital world, and during that transition, it’s changed. So now we get to discover what digital PR is, how it works, and why businesses should invest in it as part of their marketing efforts.
What Is Digital PR Anyway?
If you look up the definition of traditional PR, you’ll see lots of advice about networking with journalists and pushing to get articles published in printed magazines or newspapers. PR companies specialised in getting their clients featured in both local and national print, on the radio and on TV. That was ultimately the goal, and it usually involved knowing the right people and spending a lot of time either on the phone or out networking at all hours.
In the digital world, it’s a bit different. Online content generally has higher viewership figures, and it offers a much wider audience. It’s also much easier to access, which means more businesses can get involved and engage in PR than ever before. Digital PR brings together the traditional PR skills of crafting compelling stories and creating unique angles to hook in journalists and the SEO element of digital marketing so that the content they create is optimised and easy to find.
Do All Businesses Need Digital PR?
If you want your business to grow, earn a reputation for being an expert in your field and generally improve your marketing efforts, then you need digital PR. And in fact, you may be using it already if you work with a digital marketing agency. Many marketing strategists will use digital PR techniques to build an online presence in a creative way, encouraging customers to buy from you.
For example, digital PR often involves:
- Writing and sending out online press releases
- Building relationships with digital publications and bloggers to get coverage
- Arranging business profiling
- Organising interviews
- Generating online reviews
- Optimising online press releases with the relevant links throughout the site
- Influencer marketing
- Publishing content online to boost your wider reputation
The Benefits Of Digital PR
Build Brand Awareness
Digital PR is all about getting your message in front of a lot of people without coming across as too sales-ey. By getting your content featured on notable and trusted media websites, your brand will be seen by hundreds, if not thousands of new people, all potential customers As long as your content is engaging, entertaining and interesting, you can be sure digital PR will build awareness of your brand on a wider scale than many other marketing efforts.
Boost Your Reputation
If your business is featured in big publications or mentioned by household names, your credibility is going to skyrocket. Being able to say ‘as seen in the press’ is an incredible asset, as customers put a lot of trust in these media outlets to only feature high-quality businesses and content. It positions you as a true authority in your industry, which is something you can’t put a price on.
Enhance Your SEO
One of the biggest benefits of digital PR is its ability to get new backlinks to your website. This is a fundamental part of any SEO strategy, but doing it through digital PR ticks a few extra boxes from Google’s point of view. Google prioritises links that are valuable, revolving around authority content. Digital PR is all about creating that authority content and then disseminating it, so the links it generates are a key ranking signal for Google. Good news for your search rankings!
Increase Lead Generation
This one is simple – by doing all of the above! By making your business visible to a wider audience, building your reputation as an expert and boosting your search engine rankings, more people are going to discover and buy from your business. But to get these results you need to be consistent in your efforts. Digital PR isn’t a one-shot-to-success thing, it’s a marathon, but it can be incredibly rewarding if done right.At Lion Spirit Media, our media relations service is perfect for business owners who want to gain exposure and boost their reputation in the industry. We work directly with the media, connecting with journalists, bloggers and editors in your industry to get your stories and newsworthy messages out to the masses using the relevant channels. If you would like to know more and shout your ROAR from the jungle floor, just get in touch with the team today.
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