With the advent of social networking, many had prophesied the end of press relations. While the advent of Web 2.0 has profoundly altered the landscape and practices of the profession, communications agencies continue to call on PR agencies to build new synergies and optimize the impact of 360° campaigns. While brands are becoming their own media, the DNA of the business remains intact.
Press relations in the digital age: changing contacts and strategies
When it comes to press relations, the people you talk to have changed: influencers are no longer just journalists, they’re also bloggers or key members of social networks. Our relationship with time has also evolved. Press officers, who used to build relationships only over the long term, have adapted to real-time communication and information flows.
Press releases and press kits have gone digital, and tweets are the order of the day. Press and public relations have become relations with all audiences, and PR agencies have consequently learned to work in synergy with other marketing and communications functions, becoming familiar with cross-media strategies and performance measurement.
The evolving role of PR in the age of digital marketing
With the rise of the Internet and new digital media, PR is becoming more essential than ever to marketing and communications. Gone are the days when press officers essentially relayed corporate communications and kept a close eye on crisis situations.
Today, PR agencies must collaborate with communications agencies to feed new media with product tests and comparisons, opinions and consumer experiences: content that was once confidential or confined to niche media. Similarly, the digital media are increasingly interested in companies’ expertise. With open forums, newsletters, knowledge-sharing platforms and the guest blogging More and more forums are opening up for professionals to express their views and market analyses at .
PR synergy, the new Holy Grail for advertisers and agencies
For their part, communications agencies are no longer content to create succinct, memorable messages, ready to be broadcast in limited advertising spaces. They now strive to answer all the questions consumers have on all their digital media. That’s why they call on PR agencies at a very early stage to integrate their actions into their marketing mix and overall communications plans.
PR synergy has become an essential prerequisite for any brand or company wishing to win over buyers and establish a long-term presence. To achieve this, we need to develop a coherent editorial line and a regular publication schedule that can be shared by all the agencies involved in the field. In conclusion, let’s not forget that press relations play a key role in natural referencing, the absolute Grail for web marketing professionals.
