How PR & Digital Marketing work together to raise brand awareness
Traditional PR and Digital Marketing share a common goal – to raise brand awareness and help protect the reputation of a business, organisation, or person. And with digital platforms now so ingrained in our way of life, the lines between the two are becoming increasingly blurred.
With 83 per cent of Australians spending an average of two hours a day on social media and 99 per cent of Aussie adults having access to the internet, it makes sense to effectively integrate Digital Marketing and Public Relations Strategies to maximise the success of a campaign and increase your return on investment (ROI).
But before we do, we need to understand what each is and its purpose.
What is Digital Marketing?
Digital Marketing (or online marketing) builds brand awareness by promoting businesses, products or services, and key spokespeople. Paid and unpaid content appears on the internet, on search engines or social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, and Pinterest. Some examples of internet-based digital marketing include Social Media Marketing (SMM), Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), and Search Engine Marketing (SEM).
One of the main advantages of Digital Marketing is you can connect and speak to your target audience 24/7. It’s very powerful – there are a large number of ways to increase your online presence and spreading news and information is now delivered much more quickly than ever before.
It means reaching a much broader audience online.
What is PR?
Traditional PR involves building relationships with journalists to deliver communication campaigns through newspapers, radio, TV, and magazines. Public Relations uses trusted, not paid, sources to promote a business, an organisation, and key spokespeople. PR campaigns mainly involve proactive strategies but also feature reactive strategies to help protect brand reputation during times of crises.
How can an integrated PR-Digital Marketing strategy benefit your business?
An integrated approach sees Digital Marketing used in Public Relations to enhance brand awareness, develop and manage relationships, respond to negative press, and support campaigns and strategies.
- Enhance brand awareness and messaging
When PR and Digital Marketing are integrated, messaging is consistent across print, broadcast, and digital platforms. This practice means that the messaging in press releases can be easily aligned with the message being communicated across marketing materials mix and vice versa. Consistency leads to understanding, awareness, and loyalty – all of which are essential in building brand identity, trust, and creating business growth.
- Develop relationships and increase reach
Combining your PR and Marketing efforts increases your ability to connect with your stakeholders, particularly consumers. While Public Relations traditionally relies on earned media for the dissemination of key messages, an integrated approach allows these messages to be echoed across the business’ owned and paid marketing channels (website, social media, EDM, etc.).
This integrated approach presents new opportunities for PR campaigns and strategies to be engaged with paid social media ads and influencer marketing.
Social Media Ads
Unlike traditional PR, an integrated approach means tactics can not only be earned but paid. Through targeted social media advertising, your business can put their messaging directly in front of their target audience.
Influencer Marketing
With the rise of social media has come the birth of the influencer. Social media influencers have massive digital followings that businesses can tap into to share their brand. PR is known for effectively managing relationships which is why PR professionals are experts at identifying and developing influencer engagement strategies.
At Adoni Media, we have successfully supported clients through influencer relations, influencer exclusive events, and leveraging influencers’ status to become brand ambassadors.
- React to negative press
Social media never stops. With the rise of social media, businesses have frequently turned to these digital platforms to make statements and respond to issues and crises.
Crisis and issue management is no longer just media relations. The prevalence and timeliness of social media mean brands are not only able, but are expected to, respond to issues and crises as they arise. Failure to respond quickly can have huge negative repercussions on an organisation’s brand and reputation.
Telling your story to as wide an audience as possible is the central pillar of any PR plan. For that plan to be most effective, you need targeted PR and Digital Marketing strategies that work together and complement each other.
At Adoni Media, our team of experienced journalists and corporate specialists knows the media. We also have a decade of proven results in delivering PR and Digital Marketing campaigns that help you connect with a large audience. To find out how we can help you succeed with your PR campaign, connect with us.
