Tips and Trends for Today’s PR
Public relations – just like the marketing industry as a whole – is rapidly evolving to keep pace with our omnichannel world and its constant need for immediate information.
If you picture PR as cranking out a steady flow of press releases and pitching story ideas to reporters on the phone, you’re only aware of 25% of the story that truly makes PR a necessary medium for your company.
While press releases and pitches are still a part of PR, they are just a small part of this growing and changing industry.
Public Relations + Media Relations
Sometimes PR and media relations are used interchangeably, but technically speaking PR is the parent of Media Relations. Public relations is simply communicating with your constituents, and there are many ways to do that.
Media relations is working with reporters and journalists to tell your story. Unfortunately, as traditional media has waned in popularity (and the rise of “fake news” claims), traditional media relations have become less viable and effective. While you shouldn’t ignore media relations, you also shouldn’t limit yourself to this narrow definition of PR.
A Strategic Approach to Today’s PR
A lot of what falls under public relations today may also be considered content marketing, brand journalism, native advertising, etc. The line between marketing and PR has blurred, which is why Roger West – a digital marketing agency – has added PR to its services.
“When we’re putting together a digital marketing strategy for our clients, we always include PR in addition to paid search & retargeting, content marketing, email marketing and social media. All these channels feed into each other and reinforce the importance of brand awareness, drive more traffic to your site and ultimately increase sales,” says Natalie Lane, Director of Digital Strategy.
We are strategic when we offer PR to our clients. Instead of just churning out press releases, we become a content partner with our clients, determining what content they need to get maximum exposure and impact.
“Public relations in particular is an easy win. You can establish yourself online as an industry expert by being featured and quoted on other reputable sites, while also improving off-site SEO and getting those back-links that are crucial to search rank,” says Lane.
We also focus on powerful storytelling, and then deliver those stories across multiple channels and devices. We also tailor our messaging to include more visuals, video and voice content depending upon the medium used.
And we don’t limit ourselves to traditional media. We’ll be creative in determining the right partners for you, including industry websites and blogs, content syndicators, trade associations and other venues that can help deliver your brand story to a wider audience.
Find out why we’re better than your current agency.
Published Proof
Perhaps the best development in PR recently is improved analytics tools that can visually show your progress. Public relations is an investment in your brand, not an expense, and with the proper reporting you’ll be able to see the traction you’re making.
Additionally, by seeing what’s working and what’s not over time, you’ll be able to hone your PR strategy and focus your efforts on the most effective and far-reaching.
PR has changed a lot in the last few years, so if you’ve tried it before with limited success, it may be time to try again. We’d love to help you. Let’s Talk.
Diane Callihan
With more than 20 years of experience writing for some of the country’s top brands, Diane helped to shape Roger West’s content strategy, lead generation, and PR efforts as Director of Marketing. She currently serves as President of Callihan Content Creation.