When brands begin exploring the world of Digital Public Relations (Digital PR), they want to know how quickly they can expect to see results. The honest answer is Digital PR strategy is similar to SEO in that it takes a bit longer to see results than with digital advertising. Digital PR is more organic, providing both social confirmation and third-party reliability.
It is unique from paid advertising as it is founded on building relationships with journalists, influencers, bloggers, and a variety of media channels. Unlike digital advertising campaigns which drive traffic during the campaign, digital public relations, done right, drives traffic consistently all the time. Why? Digital PR is lifestyle marketing that engages every area of the sales funnel.
1. Digital PR is Still Public Relations
Digital PR, often defined by keywords, links, shares, mentions, and meta must keep in mind that it is still public relations at its heart. Public relations is essentially third-party endorsements as opposed to paid advertising or sponsored content. It builds media attention, boosts credibility, and in turn, builds trust, which grows a business making it an essential Digital PR strategy technique.
Public relations, unlike paid advertising, provides brands with a number of benefits including long-lasting relationships, community, credibility, thought leadership, and genuine impact, without the big-ticket budget that ads require. Through Digital PR, brands gain the opportunity to influence their audiences like never before.
Today’s talented Digital PR strategy experts can be found anywhere – big city, small town, around the corner, or across the globe. The buzzword is talent, not location, as remote working has reached its all-time high and shows no signs of slowing down. Rather, Digital PR strategy is about talent, relationship building, trust, and social networking. Truth matters and brands should strive for it. Digital PR professionals should help clients deliver the truth while always being prepared for a crisis.
In doing so, they help clients achieve a strong brand image. The success of Digital PR strategy is measured not only in numbers but in the development of long-lasting relationships through earned credibility with customers, employees, the media, and the community. It means social engagement and social listening, regardless of the company’s size.
2. Targeting the Audience
Using available intelligence tools can aid research and analytics to help brands reach target audiences most effectively. Knowing the audience, as well as the proper approach, can help in pitching stories more effectively. This means knowing the publications and sources the target audience members are reading. From there, researching the publication or source will help the journalist being courted see why their audience will care about the brand’s product or service.
To use a Digital PR strategy effectively, it is imperative to know the brand’s unique value proposition. Consider the use of announcements, evergreen content, seasonal and event-related content, and press releases to communicate the who, what, when, where, and why of your brand.
3. Targeting the Pitch
Pitches need to be well-thought-out and well-executed. To do so, a Digital PR strategy requires researching journalists to select the appropriate media outlet, keeping up with their current articles, personalizing the pitch appropriately while being helpful, engaging, and following them on social media. The pitch needs to be well-written, helpful, timely, and relevant, and tailored to the journalist.
When sending a pitch via email, optimize the subject line to get the email opened and keep the message simple and to the point. As the number of media outlets grows and the number of journalists shrinks, your pitch is crucial to opening the doors of opportunity.
While digital, as public relations, Digital Public Relations must respond immediately when the press calls (phone, email, social media). It is important to realize that journalists have deadlines and a missed call can be a missed opportunity. Consistency is the basis of Digital PR. It can’t thrive with a one-and-done approach, but requires an ongoing effort, much like SEO. It means optimized, up to the minute, fresh content on your site, and pitched to the appropriate media outlet continually.
4. Are Links Still Important to a Digital PR Strategy?
Links, while they may not be quite as valuable as they once were, still matter because they ultimately deliver brand coverage. The number of links is not as important as the relevance to the brand. Digital Public Relations places links editorially, which means the journalist, publication, reporter, or influencer if interested, writes about your brand, and links to your content. In the world of digital PR, links are earned, which means added value for your brand. The reason is that these links often come from news articles, thought leaders, and other authoritative sources.
Exults Digital PR – The Strategic Experts – Can Help
Digital PR continues to gain momentum as brands discover the significance of public relations in an effective digital marketing strategy. The professionals at Digital PR powered by Exults are ready to help your company leverage Digital PR strategy and develop a successful digital marketing plan. Call today and let Exults Digital PR help you cultivate.