The world of public relations (pr) has changed in no time. Due to the arrival 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.
Disseminating information is faster than ever before. In the past, spreading news was a kind of phone game. One person came up with news and via via via this turned into a different story. The invention of writing was the first media revolution ever. When printing was introduced in the 15th century, this led to another media revolution. By distributing printed information, more people got access to the same information. However, not everyone was able to read yet. It wasn't until the 19th century that reading became normal for more people.
Radio was made for the first time at the beginning of the 20th century and that led to the next media revolution. Instead of one-way traffic from individual to individual, one message could be transferred to multiple people at the same time. After that, this was even used with images, due to the arrival of television.
The most recent media revolution is the arrival of the Internet. Sharing messages is no longer one-sided and spreading information is much faster than before, because almost everyone in the western world has access to the internet. The internet is easily accessible and everyone is also authorized to set up 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. For this reason, digital PR has become a profession in its own right. And so does the way digital PR professionals get to 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. Here are 4 reasons to invest in PR:
1. Improving the visibility and reach of your organization through earned media.
2. Direct customer interaction and real-time monitoring of successes.
3. Opportunity to use your organization as thought leader to be featured in the media.
4. The possibility of (successful) reputation management.
Where the main focus used to be on the content of a press release, there are now many peripheral issues that require attention. For example, it is important that a digital PR professional has enough knowledge of all kinds of (social media) platforms. These types of platforms can offer opportunities when it comes to networking and building relationships.
To get on journalists' radar, you can use your thought leadership. When you express that you have the right knowledge, journalists and influencers are more likely to work with you. That is why, in addition to PR, it is now indispensable to content marketing to be used as part of a marketing strategy.
With the changes in the media landscape, there are a number of relatively new challenges for digital PR. For example, an organization's reputation is more vulnerable, and the public expects more from organizations than ever before. In addition, it's easy to criticize social media, online forums, and search engines. But when used properly, this can also be an opportunity for organizations. Think of responding quickly to and dealing with complaints to limit reputational damage.
