Thanks to social media, good public relations (PR) has never been more important for your business.
People now listen to each other rather than your advertisements; good corporate social responsibility has moved to the top of the political agenda and thanks to the blogosphere, everyone is now a publisher!
Given that anyone can now say what they like about your products and services, managing your reputation might seem like a hopeless task.
But don’t worry; by simply adapting traditional PR skills to the new online environment, it can be simpler and more cost effective than you think.
There are many similarities between online and offline PR. If PR is about:
- Getting editorial coverage….
- Befriending journalists….
- Building a good reputation….
- Marketing without a media budget ….
- Making friends and influencing people….
…….. so is online PR!
The main differences between online and offline PR are:
- Influencers are many – and harder to identify
- There are no publishing schedules – it’s a 24 hour job
- Instead of press releases we have content (blog posts)
- Instead of shouting we have conversations (comments)
- Everything is now measurable – even offline activity!
The online PR environment means:
- Words can spread fast (with global reach)
- The public now determines reputation
- Bad PR lives forever – content is never deleted
- Transparency is mandatory – dishonesty will be exposed
- Businesses become porous – corporate leaks will happen
- We can bypass media – can talk to public direct!
So what can online PR actually achieve? It can:
- Increase online awareness of your products and services
- Increase the number of people recommending your company online
- Drive traffic to your website
- Improve your search engine rankings
- Improve your online reputation
friend can help your business prosper in this new environment, by building and managing your brand’s reputation online, at a relatively low cost. To find out how take a look at our services.
Get in touch to find out more. Give us a call on 0845 459 4003 or drop us an email.
Also in this series: The Reluctant MD’s Guide to Social Media
