Online conversations and media consumption across all generations are at an all-time high and brands must respond to this new behavior with their digital PR and communications strategies. The pandemic also transformed the way we live, socialize, work, and do business. Companies need to take note of the changing digital landscape to create innovative digital PR campaigns that drive brand awareness and ultimately win new customers.
The ripple-effect of digital channels and social media means that everyone can have their say. These days anyone can build a blog, make a vlog, set up a Facebook or Instagram page or Twitter account. This means that the public can make or break a business through this element of sharing in a relatively short amount of time, meaning the PR practitioner’s role in the digital landscape is arguably more important than ever in having to master the art of steering the ‘public conversation.’
Content remains as important as ever because people value good news and interesting stories just as they always have. Therefore PR professionals must continue to earn media via great stories that are written well. What has changed is how these stories are used. Once, it might have been enough to create a great media release. Now? Content can and should be given multiple lives. For instance, a story can take the form of a media release, a blog post, social media posts, or even a pitch related to the latest current affairs. The list is endless so use what you have.
Micro-media is a place of power
There are more ways than ever before to reach key audiences. The rise of digital media news sites and blogs has given way to a new wave of publications, offering fresh takes on daily news. Audiences have splintered into groups of interest along their trusted sources of daily information. PR professionals need to know which key sites apply to their business and audiences, and leverage this.
Content partnerships leverage common purpose
In the fractured media landscape, brands and publications align in many different areas. Content partnerships are about identifying these crossovers and embracing them for mutual benefit. Think about who may be interested in your story and why, then combine forces to speak to the same audience. By framing your publicity as a partnership, it becomes more trustworthy and more likely to gain attention.
Thought leadership is increasingly important
So many clients are innovators, business leaders and experts in their field. Positioning them as such means that when the media needs to know more about a specific topic, they turn to you for additional insight. Nonetheless, this is a tricky balancing act. As always, compelling content should come first and any ‘leader’ needs to fit the message they’re delivering, must believe in the message and should have something compelling to say. With so much content flying around, good content is the key differentiator for thought leaders.
Multi-media wins attention
Great images and video assist in attracting attention, and infographics can help the reader quickly understand the story – something that is important for audiences who are quickly scanning news stories on their phones. There are almost as many mediums as there are platforms, so embrace the variety.
Social media cuts out the middleman
Social media has now taken PR to a new level, which means that the communications practitioner has to successfully manage what has become a very public relationship by going straight to the coalface of digital, joining the social airwaves and cutting out the middleman. Where storytelling has always been part of the traditional skill set, the PR professional’s new role in sharing a client’s news still lies in seeking out the angles and telling stories.
Digital PR is all about combining traditional PR with content marketing, social media and search, transforming static news into conversations and bypassing media to speak directly to your target audience online. News can be spread further, faster, and more directly to a specific target audience. It allows you to maximize news like never before. Instead of a single placement, your news can be shared exponentially.
