Since change is considered the flavor of life, like all forms of marketing, public relations has undergone a drastic change over the years. From being restricted to print media and working with journalists, modern PR practices have evolved to be completely different than they used to be a couple of decades ago. With every business having an online presence and customer engagement growing with each passing day, new forms of community outreach programs have started to catch on. Bloggers, Influencers and Social Media Managers have assumed the role of Journalists in the modern area of Public Relations.
Traditional PR people who have only worked with press departments find the new age digital PR concept made through the internet and social media amusing. Blogging and contacting influencers seems strange to them. Some don’t even recognize this as public relations. However, the tech-savvy public relations professional or those familiar with the Internet industry recognize the importance placed on both word of mouth and social media marketing. Digitally savvy journalists know all too well the art and importance of sending real-time information via live tweets from a major press conference.
In the past, the press, radio and television were the main sources of information dissemination. These were the only outlets that could get a message across, and they left PR people in the dark about the results of these messages unless the campaign was very successful. Today, digital PR doesn’t just help create a two-way communication flow where marketers can determine the aspirations of audiences and shape their messages and products accordingly. Furthermore, modern PR channels such as blogs, social media, and online promotional campaigns in general, give PR professionals an accurate picture of the effect of their PR activities. They can add spices to the flavor when needed. Even the content of the messages in today’s public relations campaigns has changed. He is no longer focused on the brand and its spokesperson, but is determined to be delivering something of value to the customer. Brands have stopped talking about themselves and how they are the “best” as there are hundreds of others saying the same thing. Content is king in this information age, whoever has the best content will attract the largest number of audiences. Endorsing content from social media influencers is critical to setting yourself up for success against your competitors in modern digital PR. When others talk about you regularly, you reap the benefits of such positive mentions. This has made influencers very powerful in determining the growth of brands.
Relying on a press release for PR is no longer the only PR strategy, brands are blogging and encouraging other influential bloggers to review their products. Using a more visually engaging and engaging message helps the brands cause better and the more like the content, the more viral the PR campaign. Since social media is such an influential medium of communication today, a brand cannot simply shy away from these platforms. Brands continually need to create compelling content that starts conversations between them and their audience.