As the world of SEO and digital marketing changes, so must PR professionals’ strategy and tactics to earn quality links. No longer can we rely on link buying or link baiting techniques – today’s PR pros need to be more creative, resourceful, and strategic in their link-building approach.
What Is Digital PR Strategy?
Digital PR uses online platforms to build relationships and promote your brand, product, or service. It covers the spectrum from social media marketing to creating infographics and other types of shareable content. Digital PR can be an extremely effective way to reach new audiences, build brand awareness, and generate leads and sales.
But it’s important to remember that digital PR is not a one-time effort – it’s an ongoing process that you should include in your overall marketing strategy.
What You Should Know About Digital PR
Links are editorially placed on websites, and as such, they are one of the most challenging types of links to acquire. Links add editorial value to the website they are placed on. They are not simple advertisements, and acquiring them can be difficult. Links come from relevant content that is interesting and informative.
If you can create link-worthy content, you will be well to acquire the links you need to improve your website’s SEO. Competitors cannot easily replicate links, making them a valuable commodity. Links and mentions from 3rd-party websites are among the most important ranking factors for SEO. Therefore, digital PR strategies are important.
How To Get Started With Digital PR?
Define Your Goals And Objectives.
Before starting any digital PR campaign, taking a step back and thinking about what you’re trying to achieve is essential. What are your goals and objectives? What does success look like? Some common goals for digital PR campaigns include things like increasing brand awareness, generating leads and sales, or improving search engine rankings.
Identify Your Audience
Whom are you trying to target with your digital PR campaign? Once you know your target audience, you can start thinking about the best ways to get them.
Create Compelling Content
Your digital PR campaign will only be successful if you have compelling content that resonates with your target audience. This can be anything from a blog post or article to an infographic or video.
Build Relationships With Influencers
Influencers can be a powerful tool in your digital PR arsenal. Find influencers relevant to your industry or niche and build relationships with them. It could involve guest blogging, social media mentions, or product reviews.
Promote Your Content
Once you’ve created some great content, it’s time to start promoting it. There are many ways, including social media, email marketing, paid advertising, and PR outreach. They are part of your digital PR strategies.
Focus On Relevancy
When trying to earn links through digital PR, it is essential to remember that you are not just trying to get a link placed on any website. You want to focus on getting links placed on relevant websites that will improve your website’s SEO.
Measure Your Results
Last but not least, don’t forget to measure the results of your digital PR campaign. It will help you understand what’s working well and what could be improved for future campaigns of digital PR and link building.
Digital PR vs. Traditional PR: Which Is Right For Your Brand?
It’s no secret that the PR landscape has changed drastically in recent years. The emergence of social media and the 24/7 news cycle has forced PR professionals to mold their strategies to stay ahead of the curve. One of the most significant changes we’ve seen is the shift from traditional PR to digital PR.
Unlike traditional PR, which relies on print media and face-to-face interactions, digital PR uses the internet to reach its target audience.
You need to be well-versed in SEO and social media marketing. Digital PR builds relationships with online influencers who have a large social media following or run popular blogs.
It is a way to get your brand mentioned on their platforms, which can help increase your visibility online. Digital PR strategies can be effective to reach your target audience and build relevant links.
However, they form just one piece of the puzzle. They should be used with other marketing channels, such as paid advertising and traditional PR, for a smart marketing plan.
Digital PR In 2022
Digital PR is on the rise as a strategy for building relevant links and improving website visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). A recent study by HubSpot found that digital PR is the second most effective link-building tactic, behind only content marketing. And it’s not just an effective tactic for link building.
You can also use Digital PR to improve brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, and generate leads and sales. If you want to get started with digital PR or learn more about how it can benefit your business, keep reading. We will cover everything to know about this growing trend in online marketing.
Digital PR To Earn Backlinks
Digital PR has become an increasingly popular link building tactic in recent years. By definition, digital PR is promoting your brand or product online through digital channels such as social media, blogs, and online news outlets. There are several reasons why digital PR strategies are effective link building tactics.
For one, it allows you to quickly and easily reach a large audience with your message. Additionally, when done correctly, digital PR can result in high-quality links from authoritative websites. Let us dig deeper into this topic.
Digital PR Benefits
Earn Links From Top Publications
By conducting digital PR, you allow your brand to be featured in some of the most popular publications on the internet. It can significantly boost your website’s authority, which is essential for ranking highly on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Not only will you earn links from high-quality websites, but you’ll also receive traffic from readers who are interested in your content. It can lead to more conversions and sales for your business. Digital PR can also help you build relationships with journalists and other influencers. It is beneficial when you need coverage for future events or announcements.
Gain Competitive Advantage
Your competitors can’t simply copy your digital PR campaigns and reap the same rewards. It is because each campaign is unique and can’t be easily duplicated. By conducting digital PR, you’ll gain a competitive advantage over other businesses in your industry that is not using digital PR strategies.
Links That Are Clicked And Drive Traffic
Digital PR can help you earn the type of links that get clicked. These links drive referral traffic and lead to conversions and sales. By conducting digital PR, you’ll be able to earn these types of links much more quickly than if you were relying solely on SEO tactics.
Target Audience And Brand Awareness
Digital PR can help you reach your target audience with your message. When you’re featured in popular publications, you’ll be exposed to new readers who may not have heard of your brand before. It can build brand awareness and reach more potential customers.
Become Industry Experts And Build Trust
When you’re featured in high-quality publications, you’ll be able to position your business as an expert in your industry. It can build trust with your audience and make them more likely to do business with you.
Drive Social Engagement
Digital PR can also help you drive social engagement. When your content is shared on social media, it can reach a larger audience and generate more leads and sales for your business.
Best Digital PR Tactics
We are often asked, “How to do digital PR in 2022?”. Here are the answers.
Building Relationships Rather Than Links
One of the best digital PR strategies is to focus on building relationships, not links. Link building has always been about relationships, but in the past, it was mainly about relationships with other site owners. Today, link builders must develop relationships with a broader range of people, including journalists, bloggers, and influencers.
Here are some tips for building relationships:
- Make a list of the journalists, bloggers, and influencers who cover your industry.
- Find out where they hang out online and follow them there (Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.).
- Share their articles and blog posts on social media and leave thoughtful comments on their blog.
- If you have something valuable to share, such as an expert opinion on a news story or a helpful tip, reach out to them and let them know.
- If you’re lucky enough to meet them in person, make sure you exchange business cards for keeping in touch.
- Keep an eye out for opportunities to collaborate with them, such as guest blogging or co-hosting an event.
- Most importantly, don’t ask for anything from them until you’ve built a relationship and they know you’re worth their time.
Strategic Outreach Targets
Before pursuing digital PR strategies, you should know that not all journalists, bloggers, and influencers are created equal. Some are more influential than others, and some are more likely to link to your site than others. When planning your outreach campaign, you must be strategic about whom you target.
Here are some tips for targeting the right people:
- Look at the sites that link to your competitors and try to identify patterns. Are there certain types of sites that tend to link to them?
- Make a list of the journalists, bloggers, and influencers who have previously linked to your site. These people are already familiar with your site and may be more likely to link to you again in the future.
- Use a tool like BuzzSumo to find the most famous content in your industry. The people who have shared this content will likely be influencers in your industry.
- Use a tool like Google News to find journalists who have recently written about topics related to your industry.
- Finally, don’t forget about offline relationships. If you know someone who covers your industry in person, they’re more likely to be receptive to your pitch than someone who doesn’t know you.
Give People Something Worthy
It is among the top digital PR strategies. If you want the crowd to link to your site, give them something worth linking to. It could be a helpful blog post, an informative infographic, or an exciting piece of research. Whatever it is, it should be high-quality and relevant to the audience.
Here are some tips for creating link-worthy content:
- Ensure your content is well-researched and informative.
- Use catchy headlines and eye-catching visuals.
- Promote your content on social media and other channels.
- Get in touch with your industry’s influencers and tell them about your content.
- If you create infographics, ensure they’re high-quality and easy to embed.
- Finally, don’t forget about the power of guest blogging. You’ll get exposure and links if you can contribute an article to a high-profile site in your industry.
More Opinions, Greater Value
When you’re trying to get journalists to cover your story, it helps to have more than one opinion. It could be an expert opinion from you or someone else at your company or a quote from a satisfied customer. The more views you have, your story will be valuable to the journalist.
Here are some tips for getting multiple opinions:
- If you’re the only expert on your team, reach out to other experts in your field and see if they’re willing to provide a quote.
- Ask your customers for quotes you can use in your pitch.
- If you’re pitching a controversial story, reach out to people with different opinions and see if they’re willing to be interviewed.
- Finally, don’t forget about the power of social proof. If you can show that your story has been shared by influencers or covered by high-profile publications, it will add more weight to your pitch.
Plan Schedule According To Them
Before implementing digital PR strategies, remember that journalists, bloggers, and influencers are busy people. To get their attention, you need to be respectful of their time and plan your outreach around their schedule.
Here are some tips for timing your outreach:
- Find out when each journalist, blogger, or influencer publishes new content. It will give you an idea of when they’re busiest and most likely to be open to new pitches.
- Plan your pitch around significant holidays and events in your industry. These are times when journalists are more likely to be looking for story ideas.
- Finally, don’t forget about the importance of follow-up. If you don’t hear back from someone after your initial pitch, reach out again a few days later.
Cash In On A Conversation
When pitching your story, making the most of every conversation is essential. It means being prepared with a list of questions you can ask each journalist, blogger, or influencer.
Here are some tips:
- Ask each journalist, blogger, or influencer about their audience. It will tailor your pitch to their needs.
- Find out what kind of content they’re looking for and see if you have anything that would fit the bill.
- See if they’re open to receiving pitches via email, social media, or another channel.
- Finally, don’t forget to thank them for their time. A simple thank-you note can go a long way in building relationships with journalists, bloggers, and influencers.
Offer Something Exclusive
Among effective digital PR strategies is that if you want to catch a journalist’s attention, offer them an exclusive. It could be an exclusive interview, access to new research, or early access to your product.
Here are some tips for offering exclusives:
- Make sure your offer is truly exclusive. It means that you can’t give the same offer to another journalist.
- Offer something genuinely valuable to the journalist and their audience.
- Be ready to answer any questions the journalist may have about your offer.
- Finally, make sure you follow through on your promise. If you don’t deliver on your exclusive offer, you’ll damage your relationship with the journalist.
Follow-Up
Don’t forget to follow up with each journalist, blogger, or influencer after pitching them. It shows that you’re interested in their coverage and gives you another opportunity to sell your story.
Here are some tips for following up:
- Send a follow-up email a few days after pitching the story.
- Thank the journalist, blogger, or influencer for their time and let them know you’re available if they have questions.
- If you don’t hear back, reach out again a week later.
- Don’t be hesitant to ask for feedback. Ask why the journalist, blogger, or influencer doesn’t use your story. This feedback can help you improve your pitch for next time for better digital PR strategies.
Use The Right Tools
There are many different tools that you can use to help with your digital PR outreach. These tools can help you find contact information, track progress, and more.
Here are some of the best tools for digital PR:
- BuzzSumo: This tool helps you find the most famous content in your industry. It’s great for finding influencers and identifying potential link opportunities.
- Google News: This is a great way to keep up with what’s happening in your industry and find journalists who might be interested in your story.
- Muck Rack: This tool helps you find contact information for journalists and influencers.
- Hootsuite: This tool helps you track your progress and measure the success of your digital PR campaigns.
- Pitchbox: This tool helps you automate your outreach process and follow up with prospects.
- Followerwonk: This tool helps you find influencers on Twitter.
- Khoros: This tool measures influence across different social media platforms.
- Kred: This tool measures Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn influence.
- Quora: This Q&A platform can be a great way to find experts in your field who might be willing to provide a quote or share your content.
- Help a Reporter Out (HARO): This is a great way to connect with journalists looking for sources for their stories.
Data-Driven Research Studies
It is one of the best digital PR strategies because it will help you get your brand in front of key influencers and thought leaders. When you create something beneficial and share it with these individuals, they are likelier to link to it from their websites or social media profiles.
Creative Campaigns
Another tremendous digital PR tactic is to launch a creative campaign that gets people talking. It could be anything from a social media contest to an interactive video series. The key is ensuring that your campaign is relevant to your target audience and generates interest and engagement.
Expert-Insights PR And Thought Leadership
If you want to build links that are high-quality and relevant, then you need to create precious content. Among the best ways to do this is to share expert insights and thought leadership articles on your website or blog. These types of posts will help you attract links from other websites that are looking for authoritative content.
Product Launches And Announcements
Another great way to generate links is to launch a new product or service. It is especially effective if you can get media coverage for your launch. If you get your product in front of key influencers and journalists, they are likelier to write about it and link to it from their websites.
Media Outreach
One of the most effective digital PR strategies is media outreach. It involves reaching out to journalists, bloggers, and other influencers in your industry and pitching them story ideas or newsworthy items about your brand. Getting these individuals to write about or mention your brand can do wonders for your exposure and link-building efforts.
Newsjack Stories
If you want coverage from top news outlets, you need to be strategic about the stories you pitch them. A great way is to newsjack existing stories already generating much buzz. You increase your chances of getting coverage by pitching a story relevant to what’s already being discussed.
Generate User-Generated Content
User-generated content is a potent digital PR tactic because it can help you build credibility and trust with your target audience. Encouraging your customers and fans to produce content about your brand shows you are confident in what you offer.
Develop Relationships With Journalists And Bloggers
This tactic is about developing genuine relationships with the right people. Once you have established a rapport with these individuals, they will more likely give your brand coverage when you have newsworthy items to share. You can also work with them to develop exclusive content that will interest their audience.
Write Guest Blog Posts
Guest posting is among the most effective digital PR strategies. By contributing high-quality content to popular blogs and websites in your industry, you can earn valuable backlinks, drive traffic, and boost your online visibility. When guest posting, target sites that are relevant to your niche and have a high Domain Authority.
Create Infographics
It is a great way to condense much information into a visually appealing format that is easy for people to digest. When creating an infographic, include a link to your website so that people can view the full version and learn more about your brand.
Participate In Industry Forums
This tactic allows you to get your brand in front of a highly targeted audience. When participating in industry forums, add value to the conversation and avoid self-promotion. If you provide helpful information and insights, people will be more likely to view your brand as a valuable resource.
Hold Contests And Giveaways
People love free stuff! You can generate much buzz for your brand when you offer something of value. Promote a contest or giveaway through social media and other online channels to reach the widest audience possible.
Issue Press Releases
It is a great way to share timely news about your brand with the media. When you issue a press release, include links to your website so people can learn more about your business. Include it among your digital PR strategies.
Speak At Industry Events
This tactic allows you to position yourself as an expert in your industry. When you speak at events, share valuable information that will help the audience learn more about your area of expertise.
Distribute Informative Videos
This strategy allows you to reach a broad audience with your message. You can distribute videos through social media, email marketing, and other online channels. Include a CTA so people can learn more about your brand.
Leverage Social Media
It is one of the most effective digital PR tactics because it allows you to reach many people with your message. When you use social media, post interesting and engaging content that encourages people to share your brand with friends and followers.
How To Plan Digital PR Strategy? Is It Just For B2C?
Digital PR isn’t just for consumer-facing businesses or “fun” brands. Digital PR can be extremely valuable for B2B companies looking to build relationships with other businesses and generate quality leads.
Here is how B2B companies can use digital PR to their advantage:
1- Developing targeted media lists
Developing a targeted media list is one of the most important aspects of digital PR strategies. This list should include publications that your ideal customers or clients are reading. To create a targeted media list, you’ll need to research your audience and the type of content they consume.
Once you understand your audience and what types of content they consume, you can begin to develop a list of targeted media outlets.
2- Creating relationships with journalists and influencers
Another critical aspect of digital PR for SEO for B2B companies is creating relationships with journalists and influencers. It can be done by providing them with valuable content, such as press releases, blog posts, infographics, and data sheets.
When you build relationships with journalists and influencers, you’ll be more likely to get your content published in the outlets that matter most to your business.
3- Conducting thought-leadership interviews
Conducting thought-leadership interviews is another excellent way to generate quality leads and build relationships with other businesses. In these interviews, you’ll want to discuss relevant topics to your industry and share your insights and expertise on these topics. These interviews can be conducted via email, phone, or in person.
4- Creating helpful resources
It is another great way to generate leads and build relationships with other businesses. These resources include eBooks, guides, white papers, or even simple blog posts. Whatever format you choose, ensure your resources are well-researched and offer valuable information your audience will find helpful. Include it among your digital PR strategies.
5- Participating in trade shows and conferences
These are great opportunities to link with other businesses in your industry. Participating in these events allows you to showcase your products or services, build relationships, and generate leads.
Measuring Digital PR Success
You can measure SEO digital PR in different ways.
Links Earned
An intelligent way to measure success is by the number of links you’ve earned from your coverage. You can use a link-building tool like Majestic or Moz’s Open Site Explorer to see how many links your site has earned from a given piece of coverage.
Referral Traffic And Sales
Another way to measure success is by referral traffic and sales generated from your coverage. You can use Google Analytics to track how much referral traffic your site gets from a given piece of press coverage, and you can also track how many sales are generated from each piece of coverage.
Social Shares
Social shares are another way to measure the success of your digital PR efforts. You can use a tool like BuzzSumo to see how many times a piece of content has been shared on social media. This is one of the digital PR tips.
Brand Mentions
You can also measure the success of your digital PR strategies by the number of brand mentions you’ve earned from your coverage. You can utilize tools like Mention and BuzzSumo to track how often your brand is mentioned online.
Domain Authority
Another metric you can look at is Domain Authority (DA). DA is a metric created by Moz that predicts how well a website will rank on search engines. The higher your DA, the more likely you rank on Google.
Conclusion
In summary, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Your business’s best digital public relations strategy will depend on your specific goals and objectives. However, by following the tips and advice outlined in this article, you can be sure of building relevant links and increasing your visibility online.
There is no debate on the importance of digital PR. It is an integral part of any SEO or online marketing strategy. Building relevant links can increase your website’s authority and visibility on search engine results pages. It can lead to more traffic and conversions for your business.
