What is “online public relations”?
Are you running a small business and would like to get the word out there about your product or service? And does this conjure up images of a big scary agency that wants to get you onto TV and radio, as well as into the most popular print publications, by charging a retainer for which you’d have to sell the family heirloom? If this is the case, then you may not have considered a more cost-effective but just as impactful form of PR that takes place online, with immediate rewards!
The Benefits of Online PR
Online PR garners feedback that can be seen more rapidly and produces exposure values that can be calculated in numerous ways: number of readers; cost of an advert of that size or regularity multiplied by three; ease of transferal and popularity on social media… All these figures and stats are relevant and should be communicated to you by your PR practitioner when they report back to you on return on investment (ROI), following the use of a release by a website.
In a nutshell, online PR is more effective than traditional PR because the product or service you wish to promote is driven in numerous ways by the visibility of a press release in the online space – as well as by the ease with which it can be shared on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, various blogs… And don’t forget the importance of tallying up the volume of mentions you receive on other websites, that link directly back to the original posting and your own site.
It should also be noted that the top PR dogs (dogs, of the special “Slumdog Millionaire” variety), don’t just send out their written work and leave it at that. They in fact cultivate relationships with the relevant parties – those seeking the kind of quality content such practitioners know they can produce. Thoughtful, strategic, right time at the right place and so much more. Having such a talent on your team (permanent or outsourced) means your reputation in cyberspace is being looked after on a daily basis.
Make Online PR part of your marketing strategy
Online PR is a vital ingredient in any marketing strategy, it should sit alongside search engine optimisation (SEO), social media familiarity and use, and the importance of cultivating relationships with those that rule the online space i.e. digital editors and highly popular niche bloggers.
If you’re looking to up the game of your small business offering in 2015 and beyond, hire a talented copywriter to get your name out there by means of online PR and a goldmine of cleverly cultivated media relationships.
Written by Vanessa Rogers
