Digital PR Using Content Marketing

I read a great quote from Lee Odden recently. He said, “If you want to ensure your brand gets in the media, then become the media.” That got me thinking, what is the media anymore. When I got into the marketing business it was very clear. The “media” was the TV and Radio stations, the networks, newspapers and magazines. They were the ones that you had to pay for ad space or worked your public relations connections and skills to get them to do a story on your company for some hook that you were able pitch to them. But that was then…

This is now

Do not get me wrong. The traditional media still exists. We are still paying for airtime and ad space. From a traditional and Digital PR standpoint, we are still schmoozing editors and producers in order to get them to do a piece on us or our clients. But they are not our only option anymore. Sometimes, they are not even our best option.

In the world of Digital PR we have the ability to create our own outlets. If you have a blog that has a larger readership than some of the local papers or business journals, then you are better off putting out a news story on your own then begging someone else to do it for you. Digital PR is a dynamic cog in an inbound marketing plan.

It is not just where you put it, but what and how you say it

Evergreen Content

Remember, when you put something out on the web, it stays there forever. Make sure what you are saying is timeless and evergreen so that it resonates when it is trending as well as a year later. Plus, you never know who is going to pick up your Digital PR content or when. If you make it so they can just grab it and go, they will be more likely to use it.

Visual Content

People do not like to read too much. You need to make sure you include pictures, videos and graphics into your Digital PR content. It makes the rest of the content more interesting and it makes your article more shareable, giving you the ability for added exposure and better results of your Digital PR campaign.

Repurposed Content

I am going to compare the old to the new again. In the past, you would write a press release and try and get it out to as many outlets as possible. But nowadays there are so many other platforms. You do not need to reinvent the content, just repurpose it. Take that press release and turn it into a blog post, an infographic, a video, a news update on LinkedIn, even a Facebook post. Then, rather than having to hope that the press release gets picked up, you have multiple formats of the same information you are trying to spread out there.

Collected Content

You do not have to solely rely on your own content for your Digital PR campaigns. Since relationships are a huge part of a successful push, co-author blogs with industry leaders so you can get their opinion as well. Hopefully they will share the joint blogs on their social platforms as well, doubling your efforts of spreading the word. You can also utilize other collateral your company has produced, brochures, guides, marketing materials, etc, as content for your blogs, again increasing the amount of strong relevant information on your company that can be used for Digital PR.

Remember the goal of your campaign is to create brand awareness, making sure your company is painted in a positive light to the public, your customers and your employees. The more information that is controlled by you that you can put out will result in stronger relationships and better business.

Digital PR Using Content Marketing