Changes in technology have merged PR and marketing. A common mistake has been confusing digital PR and social media marketing. This is why it’s important for you to have a clear digital strategy that is not based on likes and follows only. Digital PR entails building and managing online reputation for your brand or business. You can do this through your website, blog and online media platforms among other things. Similar to traditional PR, a good digital PR strategy is an essential part of any company’s marketing.
Apart from increasing your brand presence, digital PR has several benefits. The question now, is why does your brand need digital PR? Well, leave that to us. In this article, we are going to help you understand why you need to adopt digital PR and how you can use it for your brand.
Brand awareness
Digital PR improves your brand awareness both online and offline. The goal here is not only to create brand visibility but create a positive association or perception of the brand. This has a direct impact on how you execute your brand’s SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and SEM (Search Engine Marketing).
What you need to take note of here are the three types of media you can use to promote your brand.
Owned media uses content that your business controls and this is part of every PR strategy. This is when you write blogs, social media posts and develop a website that acts as your virtual home. Other brands writing about you might use this material.
Paid media uses search engine marketing strategies to make your content visible. Popular ways of using paid media include social media advertising and pay per click. A more efficient way involves influencer marketing for product endorsement. An example of an influencer campaign we did is Telone’s Connected Nation campaign with Dj Stavo.
Earned media is the third and hardest type of media. It takes your effort to have people spread news about your brand through word of mouth. Earned media includes brand reviews, customer reviews, and free online media coverage by well-established organisations
Brand Credibility
The secret to brand credibility on digital media is to make your brand relatable. The more relatable your brand is, the better the relationship it has with its audience. Digital PR builds an audience-brand relationship through instant communication and engagement. This is where social media and web-based help desks become very handy. Influencers can be a good idea since they are usually early adopters and can influence their followers. In the end, many positive mentions create a consistent image of your brand.
Increase sales
In doing digital PR, never take your eyes off your brand goal, increasing sales. Everything within your PR and marketing strategies has to point to more sales, brand equity and enhanced reputation. Thanks to technology. Digital PR is more measurable and can help you convert your audience into buyers. In-depth statistics on campaigns show if you are targeting the right people after all. This helps you know what they like and how best you can communicate with them.
Analysis tools such as Google and Facebook analytics can give you such information. A good way of turning your readers into buyers is to make your brand more available online. For example, having a shop now button, web help desk, sharing your location and business hours helps in this regards. At the end of the day, your reader gets to shop online, get help or see your location at the click of a button.
A bonus reason why you should adopt digital PR is that it is also cheaper compared to traditional PR. With more opportunities availing, most brands are finding it wiser to shift their PR to digital spaces and so should you.
Let us know what you think about digital public relations in the comments section below. Do you need help in launching or taking your digital marketing/PR to the next level? Fill in the form below and our digital team will get in touch with you.
