The world of public relations (pr) has changed in no time. With the advent and explosion of the Internet, traditional PR tactics are often no longer relevant enough. The way organizations interact internally and externally has changed - as have PR tactics. Welcome to the world of digital PR.
Information is spreading faster than ever before. Spreading news used to be like a telephone game. One person would come up with a piece of news and through word of mouth it would turn into a dissenting story. The invention of writing was the first media revolution ever. When printing was introduced in the 15th century, it led to another media revolution. By distributing printed information, more people had access to the same information. However, far from everyone could read. It wasn't until the 19th century that reading became normal for more people.
At the beginning of the 20th century, radio was first created and it created the next media revolution. Instead of one-way communication from individual to individual, one message could be conveyed to several people at once. Then this was even deployed with images, with the advent of television.
The most recent media revolution is the advent of the Internet. The sharing of messages is no longer one-sided and the dissemination of information is much faster than before because almost everyone in the Western world has access to the Internet. The Internet is easily accessible and in addition, everyone is authorized to put something on it and/or forward something to others. Within seconds, millions of people can view your content. This leads to an increased demand for timely and reactive news. With this reason, digital PR has become a profession in its own right. And so has the way digital PR professionals go about their work.
Reasons to invest time and/or money in digital PR
Through PR, you can improve your organization's reputation and reach a wider audience. Below are 4 reasons to invest in pr:
Improving your organization's visibility and reach through earned media 2.
Direct interaction with customers and real-time polling of successes 2.
Opportunity to portray your organization as a thought leader in the media 3.
The possibility of (successful) reputation management 4.
Whereas the main focus used to be on the content of a press release, there are now numerous peripheral issues that require attention. For example, it is important for a digital PR professional to have enough knowledge of a variety of different (social media) platforms. These types of platforms can offer opportunities in terms of networking and relationship building.
To get on the radar of journalists, you can use your thought leadership. When you communicate that you have the right knowledge, journalists and influencers are more likely to engage with you. Therefore, nowadays it is essential to use content marketing as part of a marketing strategy in addition to PR.
With the changes in the media landscape, there are some relatively new challenges for digital PR. For example, an organization's reputation is more fragile, and the public expects more from organizations than ever before. In addition, it is easy to criticize on social media, online forums and search engines. But when used properly, this can also be an opportunity for organizations. Consider responding to and handling complaints promptly to mitigate reputational damage.
