Digital PR – Impossible To Ignore

Manjulla M Nair

Perception is the only truth. And companies big and small spend serious big bucks to create such perceptions. Some time ago, print and electronic media were used to create such perceptions. But now, with more and more people shifting to digital platforms for information and entertainment, can the perception makers ignore it? Manjulla M Nair, founder of The Abuzz Company and an expert in this domain, shares the what, why and how of digital PR and why start-ups should not ignore it.

Says Manjulla, “digital PR is used as a strategy by companies to increase their brand awareness. The primary goal of digital PR is to outreach the linked coverage of online news publications. In many ways, digital PR can be compared to traditional PR, but it offers much more benefits, which were more visible during this pandemic-led slowdown. It’s more powerful and impactful using social media tactics, including influencer outreach. It utilizes static information by changing it into conversations. Companies can connect with the target audience and spread news much faster than ever before.

Traditional PR is one-way communication. Digital PR allows for responses.

So, what’s the difference between digital and traditional PR?

Traditional PR is a one-way communication method using conventional channels such as print media, TV, billboards, etc., to boost brand awareness. It misses the ingredient of interaction. In contrast, digital PR enables the audience to give instant feedback and reactions on a daily basis. It also widens your target audience considerably.

Traditional PR through print media is limited to space, unlike digital news, where there is a scope for a new report every second. The pandemic has also restricted or even halted offline operations. In the age of the internet, print media has expanded operations online widely, providing unlimited space for your indefinite online presence.

Your PR content can be repurposed and used in different forms.

With traditional PR, you cannot track the exact category or number of viewers. You are unaware of the number of readers perusing your brand PR in the newspapers. What really attracts the companies towards digital PR is the ability to track success rate.

Why Digital PR?

Digital PR is a game changer in the marketing space that supports companies’ growth plans. We at Abuzz use improved algorithms to ensure the following:

1. Cost efficiency
Pandemic led to an increased number of start-ups, and considering the importance of marketing, more and more start-ups are shifting towards digital marketing channels to increase cost efficiency and pursue their growth plans.

2. Increased effectiveness during a pandemic
Pandemic-led lockdowns have often shut down operations of the print media partially or fully. But start-ups especially cannot afford to stay out of sight. You can stay visible through digital PR, which is effective in this pandemic age as well. Also, with many people stopping the daily use of newspapers owing to social distancing, digital media and PR machinery have a case built here itself.

3. Enable coverage in prime media
In the unlimited online space available, your launch or information will remain in prime news repeatedly, unlike the physical form of print media, which is limited to a few pages and loses primacy after the day has ended

4. Social media influence
Content marketing is also a part of digital PR campaigns. The content can be repurposed. PR content can be transformed into a different form, i.e. an infographic, social media handles updates, guest posts, and shared on a different platform. Such transformed information can be utilized for multiple sources that help promotions. News portals, social media influencers can continue adding value and can make it viral. You can make your employees a part of your social media influence campaign too.

5. Improved SEO and boosted website traffic
When you repurpose your content, you are mentioning your brand online more frequently in numerous places. It simply leads to more people visiting your website. When your PR is published on high-value portals and links to your website, it boosts SEO ranking with the increased number of visitors. It will generate leads and sales automatically.

6. Credibility – increase trust
Your presence at reputed websites automatically indicates your increased credibility.

7. Useful to gain potential investors
Well drafted press releases highlight your new launches, success, and other important information about your brand. Therefore, digital PRs are a powerful tool to attract new investors to your company.

User Speak:

Amar Tumplwar

Amar Tumplwar, VP Business Development, Boston Financial Advisory

“We at Boston Financial Advisory Group believe in driving our company’s communication via digital PR as we have clients from all of India, UAE & USA. Digital PR brings us good reach across all regions. The key to successful digital PR impact is the strategy of communication and content creation that one puts in place to address each target region”

Bala Nadar

Bala Nadar, founder, startupwala.com

“It was possible for my start-up – startupwala.com that is India’s largest online legal services platform for start-ups and SMEs to be able to serve clients across 713 out of 742 districts in India ranging from Kargil to Kanyakumari and Bhuj in Gujarat to Tinsukia in Assam from just one location – Pune. My business requires trust, and it was possible to build this through digital PR. I think digital PR is a powerful tool that start-ups and SMBs cannot afford to ignore.

 Contact us if you have a story to tell: rashmi.ghosh@tiepune.org

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