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Why Your Company Needs to Invest in Digital PR

It is with no doubt that every brand that emerges needs visibility and not just any, digital presence. To connect with interested masses all around the world. Brands are established to close a gap in any given industry, meaning there is always a market for each.

What is digital PR?

Digital Public Relations is the strategic use of communication tools and marketing tactics to enhance brand visibility through online channels such as blogs, articles, social media platforms, podcasts, Search Engine Optimization and online communities aiming to build long-lasting and beneficial relationships between a company and its target audience.

Digital PR gradually developed from the historic practice and usage of traditional PR where data was transmitted through print and audio only. Now with technological advancements, Digital PR took center stage in how companies tell their story.

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In this blog we will cover:

  • Why digital PR is important for companies

  • The key strategies for implementing a successful digital PR campaign

  • How digital PR differ from traditional PR tactics

  • Some real-life examples of successful digital PR campaigns

Why digital PR important for companies?

When a company invests in digital PR, it establishes an online identity that can be recognizable with the use of right tools. Companies benefit in the following ways:

  • Online Visibility: When your brand social pages and websites are up and running, you should start getting mentions. That is the first step of positive narration of what your brand stands for. Frequent mentions mean more website traffic, as a result, it boosts and increases your customer or audience base. That’s what we need. According to BrightLocal, 72% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. If you are able to hit the sweet spot for curious users, that’s gold.
  • SEO and ranking score: Perfecting a good SEO for your website with quality content and on demand keywords is what your brand needs, by doing so, you earn a high chance of being mentioned on high authority sites with credibility, called backlink building. Consider that as having your closest allies support you in the digital world.
  • Online Reputation Management: This is a crucial phase of Digital PR. It helps you mitigate any issues that might blow up in your face if not addressed properly. Don’t forget that your target audience are still human beings, with a need for constant reassurance. Therefore, being able to influence their perceptions requires carefully considered messages to address negative feedback, respond to customer inquiries, and promote positive stories and testimonials.
  • Easily measure progress: Digital PR offers more opportunities for measurement and analytics. Companies can track key metrics such as website traffic, social media engagement, media mentions, and sentiment analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of their digital PR efforts and make data-driven decisions. Leaving room for improvement where necessary.
  • Crisis Communication: In the event of a crisis or negative publicity, digital PR plays a vital role in managing the situation and mitigating reputational damage. PR professionals can quickly respond to issues, communicate transparently with stakeholders, and take proactive measures to address concerns that might break your company.

What are the key strategies for implementing a successful digital PR campaign for brand awareness?

Campaigns have a huge impact on a company’s messaging. They can either be used to raise awareness, alter behaviors, get people engaged in a cause, raise money and make people unite. Regardless of your Digital PR campaign efforts, you first need to:

  • Identify and understand your target audience: Nobody would appreciate their message falling to the sound of crickets, right? Therefore, ensure you know who needs to hear your message and why. Conducting research is the first way to go, it helps determine the demographics plus psychographics of your desired audience. Elements such as geographic locations, age, and preference is essential in crafting a relevant and engaging content that easily resonates with your audience.
  • Captivating Content: Develop high-quality content that provides value to your audience. This could include blog posts, articles, infographics, videos, and social media posts. Focus on storytelling and delivering information that educates, entertains, or inspires your audience. It will keep them long-term, saving you a heart-ache of experiencing loads of bounce rates.
  • Optimize for search engines: Implement search engine optimization (SEO) best practices to improve the visibility of your digital PR content in search engine results.
  • Build Relationships with Media and Influencers: Establish meaningful relationships with journalists, bloggers, influencers, and industry experts in your niche. Engage with them on social media, share their content, and provide them with valuable insights and resources. According to a survey by Cision, 94% of journalists use online resources such as social media to research news stories. Therefore, building genuine relationships can lead to media coverage and influencer endorsements, resulting in brand recognition and mentions by big names in the industry.
  • Monitor results for improvement: Utilize analytics tools to track various metrics such as website traffic, social media engagement, media mentions, backlinks, and sentiment analysis to continuously monitor the performance of your digital PR campaign. Use this data to evaluate the effectiveness of your strategies, make necessary adjustments, and stay agile in response to changing trends, consumer behaviours, and market dynamics. Experiment with new tactics, technologies, and platforms to ensure long-term success and stay ahead of the competition.

How does digital PR differ from traditional PR tactics?

It is important to note that both digital PR and traditional PR serve the same purpose, which is to build a positive brand image while maintaining the relationships they have established.

Let us briefly explain what traditional PR is as we have already unpacked digital PR.

Traditional PR is the classic management of a company’s brand and reputation by controlling external stakeholder’s perception through the use of traditional media channels such as Television, Radio, newspapers and magazines.

How does it differ from Digital PR?

  • Channels: As mentioned above, communication might be the same but the way in which message is distributed differ. Traditional PR primarily relies on traditional media outlets such as newspapers, magazines, TV, and radio for coverage. Digital PR, on the other hand, utilizes digital channels such as social media, blogs, websites, podcasts, and online news outlets to reach and engage with the audience.
  • Reach and Accessibility: Digital PR allows for broader reach and accessibility compared to traditional PR. With digital channels, brands can reach global audiences instantly, whereas traditional PR may be limited by geographical boundaries and distribution channels.
  • Interactivity and Engagement: Digital PR enables two-way communication and engagement with the audience through social media interactions, comments, shares, and likes. Traditional PR, on the other hand, often involves one-way communication from the brand to the audience through press releases, advertisements, and media coverage.
  • Measurement and Analytics: Digital PR offers more opportunities for measurement and analytics compared to traditional PR. With digital channels, brands can track metrics such as website traffic, social media engagement, media mentions, backlinks, and sentiment analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of their campaigns and make data-driven decisions.
  • Speed and Timeliness: Digital PR allows for faster dissemination of information and real-time updates compared to traditional PR. Brands can respond quickly to news events, trends, and customer inquiries through digital channels, whereas traditional PR may require longer lead times for press releases, media pitches, and editorial coverage.
  • Cost and Efficiency: Digital PR can be more cost-effective and efficient compared to traditional PR. With digital channels, brands can reach a larger audience at a lower cost, particularly through social media and content marketing strategies. Additionally, digital PR campaigns can be implemented and adjusted more quickly, allowing for greater flexibility and responsiveness.

2 real-life examples of successful digital PR campaigns?

  1. Rhode skin by Haley Bieber. With an aim to address typical skincare issues and emphasize the need for inexpensive and environmentally friendly products. Haley came up with Rhode skincare range.
    Her digital PR marketing strategy was to collaborate with mid-level influencers to test her products and give reviews which led to brand awareness and an interest from the public, posting images of her brand on her social media platforms in an aesthetically pleasing way to entice customers. As a result, her products were sold out 11 days after launch.Followed by the viral Rhode phone cases, Haley used her Instagram to post selfies with her phone case that has a lip gloss. Everyone is now raging about it.
  2. Digital Flywheel campaign by Starbucks. In 2017, Starbucks introduced a new digital marketing strategy: the “Digital Flywheel” built around the four namely Rewards, Personalization, Payment and Order. With an aim to merge physical customer touchpoints with the physical.This campaign not only drove massive sales, it worked with their clients’ preferences and consumer behaviors.Starbucks used its mobile app to engage with their clients in order to satisfy their coffee needs in their desired locations. “This fundamental modernization of our technology stack will replace legacy rewards and ordering functionality with the new scalable cloud-based platform for rewards and ordering, improved customer data organization, and tighter integration with store-based operating systems, including inventory and production management.” Said Starbucks’ Chief Strategy Officer Matt Ryan. This campaign still benefits the brand today as Starbucks customers still use the application.
In closing, these campaigns highlight the capacity of digital PR to generate widespread interest, drive engagement, and ultimately boost sales through strategic collaborations, compelling content, and the use of relevant trends into customer experience.

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