- 80% of business owners and public relations professionals believe digital storytelling is the future.
- New generations such as millennials are the most likely to be influenced by blogs and social media.
Public relations emerged in the second half of the 19th century, out of the need of large companies to fight attacks from the press. Defined as the communication actions companies use to establish a positive relationship with their different audiences, PR has changed significantly in recent years.
From the press release that was sent by fax to the outlet in the 90s, to contact with influencers to create the link between their audience and the brand, through virtual events or personalized meetings, traditional public relations has been the foundation on which to build the range of creative possibilities we can implement in digital PR.
In this article, we tell you about the differences that exist today between traditional PR and digital PR, organizations’ new audiences and basic PR concepts to achieve a strategic combination of both:
- Traditional PR. Given the interest in maintaining their brands’ reputation, organizations seek to remain present in traditional media spaces that reach all generations, such as press, radio, TV and online platforms, which a traditional PR strategy makes it possible to reach through mutual benefits — win-win—, long-term relationships and reach to large audiences.
- Digital PR. In the search for new, increasingly younger target audiences — such as millennials and centennials— companies carry out digital PR actions, characterized by the use of media such as social networks, forums, blogs and mailing; in addition to the use of opinion leaders (influencers), content creation (content marketing) that generates searches (SEO), in addition to feedback —feedback— and engagement — interaction— with their audiences.
- New audiences. According to the Spanish portal, evinex.com, to date: “80% of business owners and public relations professionals believe digital storytelling is the future. With millennials being the most likely to be influenced by blogs and social media”. However, the constant evolution of our global society has also impacted companies, leading them to look at audiences that were previously not taken into account, such as older adults, animal lovers, singles or fitness people, creating increasingly specific products or services for each segment.
- PR basics. Whatever the line of business or age of your organization, there are some basic concepts that over the years have been, and will be, decisive in creating a successful PR strategy:
- Locate where your audiences are and who they are.
- Know the values of the product or service you want to promote, making it attractive to your audiences.
- Choose the distribution channels correctly, which today complement traditional ones with digital ones.
- Build a relationship with journalists to share your client’s information.
- Avoid large fixed costs in the long term, which can be supported through sponsorships or exchanges.
- Assess the return on investment (ROI), which in the PR field will always be more profitable than advertising investment.
Undoubtedly, the combination of digital and traditional PR represents a strategic ace in the face of the evolution of online communication trends; SEO and social media, as well as mass platforms such as radio and TV, are essential for consolidating brands’ positioning and reputation, so if you want to get your company or client on board the digital marketing ship, make strategic use of this mix and become a digital leader.
