DIGITAL PR (PRAD 391)

The Game Has Changed

How did you get your client or organization noticed before the Web and social media?

1. Buy advertising space 2. Earn media coverage

(through media relations/publicity)

3. Interpersonal communication (one-on-one or small group interactions – think a salesperson)

4. Organizational communication (direct mail, flyers, brochures, newsletters, annual reports, etc.)

Digital technologies and the Web help put the “public” back in public relations

Through digital platforms such as the Web (social networking sites, e-mail, blogs, online video, websites), we can now communicate directly with our publics. Thanks to the emergence of the Web, there is no longer a

“wall” between the organization and its publics Big Benefits: Lower cost generally than advertising and

the potential for much larger reach than traditional interpersonal or organizational communication tactics available

In the “old days” how would a PR professional communicate directly with her publics?

“Old School” vs. “New School” to communicate directly with one’s publics

Old School Tactics New School Tactics

Newsletter or letters E-mail/e-newsletters

Flyer /Brochure Website and blog posts

Reports Web video (YouTube, etc.)

Host an event Facebook news feed/wall

Give a speech/presentation

Tweets

Position papers/reports Mobile apps/alertsImportant: The rise of “new school” digital PR tactical options does not represent the end of “old school” tactics; they still very much have their time and place. This class of course will be focusing on digital PR options.

Working through the media used to be the only game in town for PR, but this is

changing

Some brands now have audience reach that matches or exceeds the largest traditional

media outlets

In the old days, how would we conduct research during, before, or after a PR

campaign?

Old Days:

Conduct focus groups

Conduct in-depth interviews

Surveys (telephone or in-person)

Content analyses of media clips

Secondary data (reports, etc.)

Informal research (customer feedback, employee comments, etc.)

Today:

Track search query/interest data (Google Trends/Insights)

Track website traffic (Omniture, Webtrends, Google Analytics)

Track conversations on Twitter, Facebook and other social networks

Monitor email comments, post to blogs, brand communities, etc.

Bottom-line: The Social web impacts all stages of the public relations campaign

process