The rise of digital media, social media, and artificial intelligence (AI) has impacted public relations (PR) in a big way. That doesn’t mean it’s obsolete, so don’t overlook the value of PR. Like everything else in marketing, it has evolved significantly, leading to increased popularity and adaptation.
In just the past year, AI-driven features like instant summaries and sponsored ads have lessened the effectiveness of traditional blogs and pillar pages on SEO. These AI elements provide quick answers directly on SERPs, reducing the need for users to click on organic links. Uh oh, what can you do? That’s where PR comes in!
Adapting and Evolving with PR Practices
PR offers a strategic way to diversify marketing efforts. It not only enhances brand visibility through media coverage, but it also generates high-quality backlinks from reputable sources. This boosts your domain authority and improves your overall SEO performance.
Integrated Content Strategy
Digital and social media platforms have not replaced PR. Instead, they have opened new avenues for content creation and distribution, including blogs, podcasts, and videos. PR has leveraged these platforms to tell compelling brand stories and engage audiences in meaningful ways. This has expanded the reach of PR campaigns, allowing companies to engage with a global audience in real time.
Beyond Press Releases: The Scope of PR
If you haven’t gotten the message already, PR is more than sending a press release and making the news. It includes any marketing or communications efforts that are public-facing and relate to awareness, brand and reputation management. This could include coordinating speaking engagements, award nominations, press conferences and even crisis communications. That said, working with the media or media relations is an important part of PR.
Impact of Editorial Coverage
Articles and news coverage add credibility compared to traditional ads. When you read an article about a product or service or see it covered on TV news as opposed to a print ad or TV ads, you’re much more inclined to pay attention. Editorial coverage helps build trust and authenticity, making it a powerful tool for influencing consumer perception.
Is it Hot (off the press) or Not?
While you think everything your organization does is exciting, reporters and editors have a different viewpoint on what is newsworthy. PR pros have the experience to identify topics, insights and events that should be promoted with an extra push. Also consider your target market before moving forward with media relations.
Everyone wants to be on The Today Show, but is it a fit for your product or service? If that isn’t where your potential buyers and looking for your product the media coverage isn’t going to move the needle. This is another time to lean on your PR pro to determine what you need. Is it local, trade news, national media coverage, or something else completely.
Did You Pay for That?
Although media coverage is earned media, not paid, there has been a big focus on sponsored content, historically referred to as advertorials. In the past, PR pros might scoff at the idea of paying for media placements, but the reality is that media need the ad dollars to keep things going.
Even though this has an advertising vibe, it's more of a PR-media relations and advertising hybrid, so your PR pro should be taking the lead on this effort. After all, even if the actual placement is guaranteed, an editor will be making the final decisions on the content.
PR and Advertising: A Symbiotic Relationship
While advertising is often just a sales pitch and easy to identify, PR plays a more subtle but no less important role in the marketing plan of organizations. When PR is well done, advertising is more successful. PR and advertising can work together to build brands. Both can be extremely effective, but the most successful campaigns use both at the same time. Together, they enhance brand image and consumer trust.
Feel the Impact with AI Analytics Tools
The use of AI and analytics tools in PR enables more targeted and measurable campaigns, allowing professionals to analyze data, track sentiment, and measure impact, making PR more strategic and results oriented.
The Power of Modern PR
Digital media, social media and AI have made PR more popular and essential, transforming it into a more dynamic, data-driven and strategic field. The integration of these technologies has expanded the scope and impact of PR, making it a vital component of modern marketing and communication strategies.
Integrating PR into your marketing mix not only enhances your brand's visibility and credibility but also ensures a comprehensive approach to building and maintaining a strong brand presence. Want to learn how to use the power of modern PR? Contact us for more insights.
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