6 Ways Digital PR Can Help Your Brand
If you’re struggling to find and connect with your target audience, chances are you need an online public relations strategy. Customers today rely on the internet to find the products and services that they need. A digital PR strategy helps get your brand featured in high-traffic online media outlets, making it easier for customers to find you.
Digital PR has many long-term benefits for your organization, from heightened brand awareness to better customer acquisition. A sophisticated PR strategy uses a range of digital outreach tactics to maximize your brand’s reach. Let’s take a closer look at how digital PR works and six ways it can boost your brand.
What Is Digital PR?
Digital PR has the same goals as traditional PR, but it focuses on online outlets rather than print media. Digital PR strategies are multifaceted, using many different platforms and types of technology to reach your audience.
As with traditional PR, digital PR starts with generating press coverage — only in this case, that happens online. Getting mentions in relevant blogs and online magazines increases brand awareness. It can also generate backlinks to your website, which supports your off-page search engine optimization strategy. You can supplement this with your own content marketing and management of online reviews. A digital PR agency can help you map out these strategies and implement them effectively.
Social media and influencer marketing are also important components of a digital PR strategy. Partnering with influencers in your industry is a very effective method of reaching your audience organically and building trust. In addition to social media influencers, you might partner with relevant podcasts or web series to gain coverage.
6 Benefits of Digital PR
There are several ways that digital PR can help your brand. Here are six key benefits to be aware of.
1. It Increases Brand Awareness
The biggest benefit of investing in digital PR is that it will boost your overall brand awareness. The more your company’s name shows up in the media, the more likely customers are to recall it.
For customers who’ve never heard of your brand, a mention by a trusted influencer or blog could pique their interest. Increased brand awareness leads to organic growth over time. Even if consumers don’t make a purchase right away, they’ll be more likely to remember or share your brand later.
2. It Allows You to Reach Target Audience More Effectively
If your current market outreach isn’t working, it’s likely because it’s not connecting with your target audience. Digital PR focuses on getting brand mentions and publicity in places where your audience members are already spending their time online. It leverages existing consumer data and research to determine what websites, social media platforms, and apps your target audience is using.
For example, if your brand caters to a Gen Z audience, partnering with TikTok influencers could be more effective than PPC ads on Facebook. For B2B brands, a mention in a leading industry blog or podcast will get your audience’s attention.
3. It Establishes Your Authority as an Industry Leader
A digital PR strategy is also an effective way to get ahead of your competition by establishing your brand as an industry leader. When you show up in your customer’s trusted media sources, you immediately command respect. Over time, you’ll be seen as the go-to provider of your product or service.
Use your PR activities to show off your brand’s expertise. For example, you could get a popular blog or podcast to interview one of your C-suite leaders. You can also contract with an influencer to feature your product or service in action, illustrating exactly why customers should choose you.
4. It Drives Traffic to Your Website
When your brand is mentioned around the internet, it drives traffic back to your website. This means more eyes on your products and your content marketing. This traffic can lead to more sales and more happy long-term customers.
Increased web traffic is also very helpful for your SEO strategy. Digital PR will get you high-quality backlinks, which can increase your site’s domain authority. This will enable you to rank higher on Google, which further boosts your brand awareness.
5. Build Brand Trust and Loyalty
Today’s consumers are bombarded with marketing tactics every time they open their phones. As a result, it takes time for them to build trust and loyalty with a brand. A thoughtful, organic online PR strategy can help build that trust naturally.
One way to earn a consumer’s trust is to associate yourself with people and media outlets that already enjoy their confidence. When your brand is mentioned in a positive light by sources they trust, it shows your audience that your product is worth their money.
6. Generate Leads
A digital PR strategy casts a wider net with online coverage of your brand. Since you’ve researched your target audience and the channels they use, some of that audience is sure to be curious about your offerings. This can lead directly to new leads and business opportunities.
In addition to boosting sales directly from your website, digital PR can also help you build your social media following or email list. You can follow up with these new audience members in additional ways, supporting your broader marketing strategy.
Final Thoughts
In order for your brand to succeed, you’ll need to get your name out there. You can’t expect customers to come directly to you in such a crowded online space. Instead, you need to find them and show them why your products are worth their time. A digital PR strategy does just that by promoting your business effectively across a variety of online outlets.
