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As this unwieldy metaphor demonstrates, “traditional” PR
activities are all about emphasizing the interesting aspects of
a business and crafting a profile that positions it as a trusted
authority in its field and engenders both recognition and trust
among target audiences.
Unlike an agency or in-house team focused exclusively on
search, social, advertising, or marketing, PR can encompass
all of those disciplines, taking a holistic view of a brand’s
profile and crafting a multichannel campaign designed to
positively influence.
Creating content people want to use and share is a given
with PR. Activities such as media relations, events, crafting
corporate communications, and even drafting press releases
with a view to attracting as much media coverage as possible
stand as analog versions of modern digital tactics such as
blogger outreach, guest posts, and social media networking.
events, industry conferences, and speaking opportunities
should be your bread and butter approach to raising your
profile within your community, as well as helping you look
like you’ve got your finger on the pulse of your sector.
On the flip side, if you’ve already secured a guest spot in a
relevant print, TV, radio editorial, or speaking event—be sure
to capitalize on it via your online assets.
2. Bolster your media relations
PR has long been about quality over quantity. Agencies and
individuals are often hired and fired based on their reach
within relevant press circles. Digital marketers should attempt
to emulate PR practices with a view to building long-term
relationships with offline and online publications, bloggers,
and journalists that can provide valuable sources of coverage
time and again.
Traditional PR activities map extremely well to digital
marketing activities, giving a brand or business something to
talk about on the Web and the means to attract coverage in
offline as well as online publications.
However, don’t succumb to the temptation to revert to the
fire-and-forget methods of days gone by... and so abuse
these relationships. Get to know the assets in question, what
they’ll be interested in, and what they avoid like the plague.
In short, be useful to them, and they’ll reciprocate in spades.
Link-Building and Press Releases
3. Make the most of your content
Google now frowns on aggressive linkbuilding or widespread
guest posting campaigns that intend to manipulate page
rank.
By using your site as a hub for quality content relevant to
your industry and offering insightful comment on pressing
issues, you have the potential to attract social shares, online
coverage, and guest-posting opportunities on relevant sites
(which will generate more of those precious inbound links).
Fortunately, the time-old media relations tactics employed
by PR agencies in generating coverage translate fantastically
into the digital arena. Those methods allow companies to
earn high-quality coverage from reputable, relevant news
sites—many of which happen to have great domain authority
and other favorable linkbuilding qualities—enabling sites to
ethically gain inbound links while simultaneously bolstering
their profile.
Google’s updated advice on linkbuilding was forecast to
cause something of an uproar in the PR world in regard to
press releases and other types of promotional content posted
across multiple sites and stuffed with links.
Despite the hyperbole, the death of PR agencies never really
materialized. Online press release directories and sites willing
to host such content are undoubtedly valuable resources, but
if your agency’s strategy to attract coverage is to fire these
out en-masse, without much thought towards targeting, it’s
safe to say they’re doing it wrong.
Cashing In
So now that we’ve established just what PR can bring to the
digital marketing table, what are the best ways for marketers
to put the methodology of public relations to use in the online
arena?
1. Offline and online activity complement
each other
Content creation is one of the key struggles for businesses
branching out into the world of digital. However, by ensuring
that offline and online activities complement one another
brands can ensure they have plenty to talk about via both
channels.
Live-tweeting and sharing goings-on from relevant networking
But the fun doesn’t stop there. Promoting your quality onsite content can get you noticed by the people who matter,
leading to the possibility of print coverage and participation
in real-world interviews, editorials, and events—not to
mention the prospect of new business from parties you’ve
attracted through blogs, whitepapers, videos, and the like.
PR itself can also have a direct impact on traffic to your
site. HubSpot’s Lindsey Kirchoff claims that the company
always sees a spike in branded traffic following a concerted
campaign. So, in addition to promoting your events online,
make sure you’re trumpeting your online presence when
engaging in real-world activities.
4. Join relevant industry communities [