2 min read

Why Digital PR ISn’t the Only PR You Need

By Andrea Sexton

PR is an important element in the marketing world; now more than ever. Digitally, we have everything at our fingertips, which means information, opinions and events are spread at a much faster pace.

And, with the rise of technology, another sector was inevitable: digital PR. Becoming the latest rage, marketers hopped on it faster than you can say ‘Admire PR’.

It makes sense. After all, why wouldn’t you want to harness the power of tech that provides your business with huge advantages like backlinks, social media, and being able to respond to things instantly?

However, it seems that while a lot of companies are immersing themselves so fully in digital PR, they disregard the importance of more traditional public relations methods.

Think about it: if there isn’t a public relations strategy behind you that holds a carefully thought out mix of media, your PR won't work as well as it could.

Traditional PR looks like:

Events
Awards
TV
Radio
Newspapers
Industry-Specific Magazines

And traditional PR does have its advantages.

First of all, is visibility. Social media is instant. You can see something for one minute or less - and then it is scrolled past onto the next chunk of information or cute dog video. But, in traditional media, let’s say in a magazine, there is no escape from that specific article. The time it takes to read a double-sided document is a lot longer than it takes to stay on a post, and if you are there in the corner of your potential client's eyes, then chances are you're staying in their minds for longer.

By targeting industry-specific magazines you are allowing your product or service to be viewed by the RIGHT demographics and, in this case, quality is favoured over quantity. On social media platforms, you never know where your advertising or PR piece will end up.

So why are we telling you this?

Well, firstly, we love both digital and traditional PR.

But it's vital to remember that the more sections of PR you use, the better coverage you get. By all means, use social media, use blogs, use email marketing - but also use interviews and TV and magazine pieces to compliment your marketing strategy.

By having this range, you're meeting the needs of all your potential clients. Some might prefer to obtain information through the radio, whilst others seek their news and updates through TikTok and Facebook.

The bottom line is this:

You must have a PR strategy that has a combination of PR methods, all of them custom-tailored to suit your client's needs.