The enduring benefit of Digital PR.
Some things never go out of style, but they might get a glow-up!
We love a printed offline splash for our clients at Harissa PR: The Times for Mayflower Marina. We also appreciate the value of digital PR for this event, which generated multiple online articles, over 150k views on Facebook alone and a top trending Twitter status.
Classic, printed PR has been somewhat sidelined in recent online marketing discussions. Printed PR has assumed a similar vibe to using Facebook when you could live out your digital dream on TikTok or Threads (when we’ve all worked out what to do with it!). Offline PR is sometimes considered the equivalent of a reliable old family Volvo that gets you to your desired destination but doesn’t feel as glamorous or impactful as driving in a Tesla Model X.
However, a creative and targeted classic PR campaign never goes out of style. Whilst your PR going digitally viral is potentially magical, it still makes clients happy to see their news in print, especially in the top-tier press. And as quaint as it may seem, if that printed PR piece in the local paper gets seen by your desired audience, you are already winning at publicity.
That said, PR has had a ‘glow-up’. SEO and PCC specialists, for example, recognise that the top of the digital marketing funnel still needs a healthy sprinkle of PR (offline and online) to get clients that additional impact and brand recognition. As such, PR teams are fostering mutually beneficial collaborations with other marketing specialists to blend their talents and maximise client publicity opportunities using digital PR tactics.
PR is still key in building and maintaining a positive reputation for individuals, organisations, and brands. While the benefits of PR can vary depending on specific goals, it consistently offers brands several abiding advantages:
Increased visibility and awareness.
Reputation management.
Relationship building.
Thought leadership and industry authority.
Stakeholder engagement.
Crisis and issues management.
Combining traditional media relations with digital PR and marketing tactics like search engine optimisation, influencer marketing, social media, and content marketing can significantly boost brand trust and awareness.
Digital PR is perfectly positioned to enhance exposure and increase website traffic and conversation rates. PR teams regularly employ various cost-effective, measurable digital strategies to boost online publicity for their clients, such as:
Online editorial and media coverage.
Influencer marketing.
Websites and blogs.
Social media engagement.
Videos and podcasts.
Photo by Pereanu Sebastian on Unsplash
As is evident, Digital PR opportunities are expansive. However, the most impactful digital PR strategies still rely on a solid network of journalists, bloggers, influencers, editors, digital creators, industry partners and content marketers. The benefits of PR collaborations are abundantly clear and increasingly measurable.
There is little doubt that PR’s digital glow-up offers enduring benefits that contribute to the long-term success of brands, from increased visibility and reputation management to relationship building and driving favourable outcomes. It is safe to say that digital PR is here to stay!
Blog: Jane Pierce, Founder at Harissa PR
Doer of PR, Copywriting, All Things Social, TV, and compulsively convoluted hashtags.
Why not say: hello@harissapr.com
