The practice of Public Relations (PR) has completely evolved since its beginnings in print and other forms of mass media. The introduction of the internet and smartphones has forced businesses and PR practitioners to shift from TV segment guestings and billboards to influencer collaborations and brand mentions in online publications.
While PR has had a massive makeover through the years, one thing remains the same—it’s one of the most crucial aspects of brand building.
Role of Digital PR in Modern Communications
Digital PR balances the playing field for smaller brands, who otherwise wouldn’t have the necessary media connection or budget to launch a campaign or press release traditionally.
With the help of digital tools, PR campaigns can now reach a wider audience than ever before. Unlike traditional methods, which limited campaigns to audiences such as newspaper subscribers or those with cable TV. Today, nearly everyone has a social media account or internet access.
Like traditional PR, digital PR is essential in boosting brand awareness, managing a brand’s reputation, and increasing sales. However, unlike traditional PR, which is a one-way “conversation,” through tools like social media, digital PR allows for dialogue and interaction with customers.
In the past, customers had to mail in their messages or feedback to big businesses, and receiving a response was celebrated for its rarity. Today’s customers expect instant answers, and a late reply could get you canceled.
While PR practitioners always had to be on their toes, digital PR requires a brand’s 24/7 attention. In a world where everyone has a voice and a platform—not just through big media—you must always be ready with a 280-character response or a double-tap-worthy reply. Everyone is watching.
Since the creation of modern communication tools, businesses may have to fight small fires daily and monitor any brand mentions across the internet. On social media, for example, this can be automated by using content moderation tools.
Crafting Compelling Digital Press Releases
There isn’t much difference between writing a digital press release and a traditional one other than the medium and the distribution model.
The modern-day press release still serves the same purpose—informing your audience about something important (product launches, leadership updates, partnerships, etc.). You still have to:
- Use an attention-worthy headline – Keep it at ten words or less. Your headline shouldn’t just encapsulate the content of your press release but also capture your audience’s interest and make them curious enough to read the entire article.
- (First paragraph) Have a clear and quick rundown of important information – Your audience must be able to read the first paragraph and know the following:
- What it’s about
- Who is involved
- When it’s happening
- Why it’s important
- (Second-third paragraph) Include quotes from key people – Strong and relevant quotes can help add value to a press release while adding a human element.
- (Second-third paragraph) Provide more context – Add other information, such as data, expectations, testimonials, etc.
- (Last paragraph) Close with the next steps – Tell your readers what action you want them to take after reading your press release.
A press release should always be newsworthy, so only write about topics you know are worth reading about. It also helps to make it clear, use simple language, and remove unnecessary fillers.
Take a look at this press release by the food company Kellogg:
This Kellogg press release uses casual “superhero” language to announce its partnership with Kroger. The language used immediately makes the story more engaging and relatable, while readers can understand what the press release is all about.
The press release also explains the gist of the article in the first paragraph.
This press release from fast-food giant McDonald’s is an excellent example of adding a human element through quotes:
Including a quote from the McDonald’s Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer rather than plainly explaining the motivation behind the product makes the chain appear more connected to its audience while providing more insight into the campaign.
Of course, today’s digital press release can’t just stand alone, you have to prepare a share-worthy social media version just like McDonald’s did using TikTok.
Using TikTok as its main channel to announce the limited-time product helped the chain go viral with tens of millions of views, thousands of user-generated content, and a 12% increase in sales. Results a simple press release couldn’t have achieved on its own.
Distributing your digital press release
There are many ways to distribute your digital press releases such as:
- Sending it to publications and dedicated journalists,
- Publishing it on your blog or website,
- Posting it on social media,
- Subscribing to press release distribution services.
Distributing your press release can help land you coverage in reputable pages, which can boost your SEO and get you more website traffic. The more places your press release is published in, the better for your business.
Influencer Outreach and Building Media Relationships
Traditional PR work involves having to form relationships with key media personalities and journalists who would be interested in running your story. This still rings true today with a few added conveniences thanks to smartphones and the internet, plus the addition of essential digital PR tasks like influencer outreach.
Influencer Outreach
According to research by Matter Findings, 69% of consumers trust influencers more than information coming directly from brands. Influencers are essential to the success of your digital PR campaigns. Working with influencers can help you boost your credibility and earn the trust of a larger audience.
Influencer outreach involves sending influencers messages through their preferred channels and pitching your campaign. But before sending the message, we recommend:
- Creating a list of relevant influencers – list down those with authority in your niche and with audiences you’d like to tap. Consider their engagement rate, audience profile, and personalities.
- Building a proposal – Your message should include what the campaign entails (i.e., unboxing, ambassadorship, content collaboration, etc.) as well as what they can get out of it.
- Following your chosen influencers before reaching out – Following the influencer and engaging with their posts before sending a message can make the outreach feel less “cold”. This also signals them of your presence and genuine support.
There are tons of influencer outreach templates available online you can easily apply, but the general flow should include:
- A personalized greeting, nothing too formal
- A short introduction of yourself (personal) and your business
- Why you’re reaching out and why you chose them
- What you’re offering
- An invitation to discuss further
Keep your initial outreach message as short as possible—you don’t want to overwhelm them on the first contact. Save the full campaign brief for when they reply and show interest.
Building media relationships
While a great story and a famous brand don’t require much effort to get picked up by a publication, smaller businesses have to work harder to get their story seen. Here’s how you can improve your media relations strategy without prior connections:
- Know who to talk to – Every journalist specializes in a specific industry, make sure you’re reaching out to someone who is relevant to yours. This won’t just save you the heartbreak of rejection, but it also avoids wasted time on both ends.
Avoid emailing a general email such as hello@insertpublication.com, as it gets flooded with pitches and spam mail daily. Look at your target publication’s website to find the contact information of the specific journalist.
- Always personalize your communications – Instead of sending a blanket email to all your media contacts, type down each message to include personalized details such as their name and other information that differentiates your message. Understanding how to do cold email marketing effectively can significantly improve your chances of getting a response.
For example, if one journalist ran your previous story, thank them again for that and share the results.
- Support their work – Journalists are no strangers to receiving gifts from PR professionals and clients, and they know the reason behind them. While gifts can definitely put you in a more favorable light, it’s hard to outshine bigger clients, not to mention the ethical implications.
Instead of focusing on gifts to get your stories out, show your media contact that you value their work. Share their articles on your personal page, congratulate them on achievements, and let them know that you value their work outside of the stories published for you.
- Play the long game – Relationships aren’t built overnight, especially with the media. Keep feeding your media contacts newsworthy stories, make an effort to know more about them, and always show your appreciation. You can also rely on business mentoring and find reliable coaches who can guide you on how to build long-term relationships.
The shift to digital has made it easier for PR professionals to build media relationships. You have tools like social media where you can learn more about your contacts and interact with them, as well as more channels to pitch your stories.
Leveraging Social Media for PR Campaigns
Today’s consumers rely on social media to influence their buying decisions. Social media’s wide audience and effective marketing tools makes it a powerful platform for your PR campaigns. Here’s why:
- Everyone is on social media from your customers and your employees to your investors and leaders—you can reach whoever you want.
- It gives you a direct line of communication to all your stakeholders. Social media makes businesses more accessible.
- It enables businesses to spread information in the tap of a button.
- It’s cheaper than going through traditional media.
With the introduction of social media, PR campaigns have grown beyond the traditional press release. A PR campaign can look like an influencer unboxing new products, a CEO sharing an announcement on his personal Linkedin profile, or employees posting about their workplace on TikTok.
For instance, Simply having a CEO who’s relatable and open on their Linkedin profiles, is an excellent PR strategy for brands.
Sara Blakely, CEO and Founder of the brand Spanx uses her platform to share personal stories of progress and company updates.
Measuring the Impact and Effectiveness of Digital PR Strategies
There’s no denying it—the internet has taken over our lives and completely changed the way we do things. Your ability to adapt to new technologies can make or break your business. In fact, just being on social media can boost your business’ credibility. And without a digital PR strategy in place, you’ll soon get left behind.
The best thing about it? Digital PR is easily measurable regardless of what platform you choose. You can use social media’s built-in tools to track the effectiveness of your campaign and discover the best channels to grow your business.
With over a decade in the tech field, Bogdan blends technical expertise with insights on business innovation in technology.
A regular contributor to TMS Outsource's blog, where you'll find sharp analyses on software development, tech business strategies, and global tech dynamics.
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