Digital PR: Out with the Old & In with the New?

It's true that traditional public relations hasn't died - but it has evolved. Professionals in this industry have more technology, people, and trends to keep up with than ever before. And if you aren't keeping up with these changes... you're falling behind. And no one wants to be left behind.  

I put together a little list of four traditional public relations tactics that have evolved into new digital tactics. Hopefully, it introduces you to a PR tactic or two that helps you keep up with the digital era. And if it doesn't, here's a pretty infographic about digital PR to keep in your back pocket for later. Enjoy!

Journalists vs. Influencers

Don't get it twisted - building relationships with journalists should still be a priority for all public relations professionals. 

However, the definition of "journalist" really has evolved over the last 10 years. Anyone, and everyone, that has access to a digital device has the opportunity to share newsworthy updates more quickly than a journalist. This is why it's so important to connect with people who are making an impact like that. 

These influencers are most likely influencers within your industry. While they may not create content around news, I bet they create content your potential customers value and share. Research them and build relationships with them - your customers probably trust them over traditional news anyways. 

Email vs. Social Media

Traditional PR uses email to blast out press releases using the same template in the same attachment. Digital PR advocates use Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to communicate.

They embrace social media and use it to connect with media, contributors, and influencers. And they definitely use it for reporting.

Ave vs. Data & Metrics

Speaking of reporting, have you heard of AVE? It's the 1940's way of reporting on PR effort by using advertising value equivalency. I'm not the first (and surely not the last) to let you know this is a thing of the past and you should stop using them! 

You put so much time and effort into public relations, please give it the credit it deserves. Some popular metrics used to measure digital PR efforts include backlinks, website traffic, website ranking, social media growth, potential reach & impressions, and brand awareness/sentiment. 

Press kit vs. Digital Newsroom

The term "press kit" is so ancient it even has an updated name, the media kit. It's a highly used public relations tactic that pulls together all elements that a journalist or media outlet would need to write a story. Think of it as a company's resume. 

Take it from award-winning marketing expert & author, Al Lautenslager, who said, "Although a press kit should be comprehensive, every promotional item or piece of marketing collateral ever produced by a company should not be included. Only put information that is current and most relevant to your target reader" (Entrepreneur). 

Enter the digital newsroom: a place where you can and should (strategically) include every piece of marketing collateral. Consider adding the basics of media features, blog articles, leadership bios, high-resolution photos, press releases, awards won, video interviews, B-roll video footage, case studies, research, etc. 

Not to mention you can also track how a digital newsroom performs; where people are going for the most information, what pages need to be updated, etc. It's the perfect place to keep company news & updates that can be easily updated and accessed by everyone. 

It can be a bit overwhelming to manage all of the changes happening in public relations - or the media/marketing industry in general! If you enjoyed this blog and want to read more like it to stay at the top of your game, subscribe to our blog. And if you're ready to take on public relations tactics like these, get in touch with us by clicking the button below.