The world of public relations (PR) has gone through significant changes over the years. Traditional PR still has a place in modern marketing, although many brands now utilise digital PR strategies to expand their brand image and build visibility.
Some of the major benefits of digital PR include larger audience reach, higher conversions, and increased sales and profits. Here are the key things you should know about digital PR in 2020.
Difference between traditional and digital PR
Traditional PR usually involves brands getting press coverage in print such as newspapers, as well as broadcasting channels like radio and TV. On the other hand, digital PR tactics utilise a wide variety of online marketing techniques to gain brand exposure. Traditional and digital PR share several similarities: for instance, both cover brand reputation and crisis management. However, digital PR is an evolution of traditional PR tactics and is tailored to better suit the digital world we now live in.
Types of digital PR tactics
The tactics that fall under digital PR are extremely diverse. Here are a few of the most popular digital PR strategies used by modern businesses to gain online coverage.
- Backlinks – One of the most effective digital PR tactics is gaining quality backlinks that direct users to relevant content and pages on your website. This will improve the visibility of your site and boost your search engine rankings. According to Entrepreneur, you can earn backlinks to your website by sharing infographics, publishing guest blogs on authoritative sites, and writing testimonials.
- Contests – Running contests on social media can be an excellent way to maximise your online visibility and promote your products and services. Plus, it’s a fairly low-cost marketing strategy as you can encourage your users to share your content with their followers and expand your audience reach.
- Video content – Posting videos on social media can be an effective way to engage with your audience and boost your online reputation. Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube are powerful platforms to share video content online. For instance, The YouTube League by Cashlady states that the biggest earner on YouTube earns over £230,000 per video!
How to get your brand in the press
One of the core goals of PR is to get press coverage for your brand. Ideally, you should aim to get your products and services featured in the press naturally, rather than paying for advertisements. Natural press coverage will help you build trust and credibility with your intended audience and drive organic traffic to your site. You can earn natural press coverage for your business by doing market research on your audience, building relationships with journalists, creating engaging content, and supporting press features once they are published.
Conclusion
Traditional PR still has value in the modern business world, although many smart companies are now using digital PR tactics to broaden their audience reach. Effective digital PR can increase organic traffic to your site, build your brand reputation, and ultimately, drive sales and revenue. Try implementing the above strategies to enhance your digital PR strategy today.
