Over the years traditional PR has made way for online PR due to the advances and importance of all things digital, and this itself has become a hybrid of PR, digital marketing and advertising.
PR as part of any firm’s engagement and marketing plan cannot be obsolete; we are humans and interaction is what makes the business world go round. Thankfully, there are so many tools available today, which enrich the PR world and perfectly compliment a digital marketing strategy, particularly link building.
Here I list my top five tips on how SEO and link building combined with PR can develop and grow an enhanced digital marketing strategy:
1. Bypass Begging Bloggers
Some bloggers remind me of what certain journalists used to be like in the early and mid-90’s; always scrounging for samples, freebies and anything they can put their hands on. Your intuition as a professional and media expert will guide you towards bloggers who are serious about what they write and away from those who will write about anything and everything (as long you send them an item for so-called ‘testing’). PR works well in this instance as we are aware of what serious ‘news seekers’ sound like. So don’t waste too much time with those who just want money for a link to be shared. They remind me of those trade titles which ask for money towards (useless) colour separations charges in order for your story and images to be used. My motto is ‘You either think my product is worth talking about or you don’t’. So be wary!
2. Join Journalists’ Journeys
Thanks to social media, and Twitter in particular, you can now find out what they like; who they follow; what they share; and what makes them laugh as well as what annoys them. Social media has probably replaced the good old days of schmoozing over lunch with your favourite journalist. Those expensive and time consuming lunches (although some very enjoyable and memorable) used to give us the same kind of information social media does. It helps us foster relationships with our key media people without leaving the comfort of our desk. So, connect with them on LinkedIn; follow them on Twitter and ‘like’ those relevant bloggers’ pages. If you add in the fact that these crucial contacts may also share your stuff on their own website’s social media platforms, you are truly enhancing your campaign’s promotional potential. So use social media and those new virtual relationships to your advantage!
3. Economical Yet Efficient Emails
No longer are you required to pick up the phone to follow up some content. Nowadays I have noticed many journos will actually prefer a quick email first, out of courtesy. Sometimes a quick email follow up would do as you recognise telephone calls may be more invasive and time interrupting. Try it and see.
4. Intelligent Infographics
What a fantastic modern world we live in now. If the content is right, a press release is redundant and you can get away with sending out a wonderfully creative and colourful infographic instead. We all know the truth behind ‘a picture speaks a thousand words’. Well in this case, I would add ‘an infographic speaks louder than a thousand pictures’. Use your creative flair and liaise with your in-house design team or your freelance designer for that. Not only may an infographic create links, it is also re-usable as well as timeless, if the content is evergreen. Choose your topic wisely so that it can be re-used and keep generating links years down the line. Bingo!
5. Vainglorious Videos
It used to cost a sizeable fortune to produce a video decent enough to share on your website, and rare were the companies who invested in those even just ten years ago. Videos were sophisticated and expensive tools created to support larger brands mainly. They were used at consumer or trade shows to make noise and attract people to an otherwise bland stand. Now, thanks to technology, and more bravery in general, anyone can produce an interesting short video to add to your site and social media platforms. How clever and interactive. You could get away with replacing those extremely old fashioned FAQ pages, with a friendly video. Quick, easy, powerful.
So, finally, how can PR benefit from SEO and viceversa? Usually, the online marketing team has allocated a budget to come up with bigger creative content ideas which are also newsworthy for PR, be it a new page with useful information or an infographic with the potential to go viral. Also, the power of traditional PR can be spread via online marketing and thus enhance your clients’ brand awareness and exposure. Working together is crucial as insight from PR contacts could guide great content creation too. For me, combined love of the two is the key!
By Nada Giufffrida, PR Manager at Boom Online Marketing.
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