As the media landscape continuously evolves with the introduction of new technologies and new forms of communication, media relations and content are changing as well. Traditional and new media are blending, and public relations professionals are faced with the challenge of integrating both into their strategies. New insight is constantly being gathered on how to effectively deliver content in an evolving media landscape, and drives why integration continues to be important in public relations.
In this week’s PRSA “Friday Five” post – an analysis of the week’s biggest public relations and business news and commentary – we look at the value of the different media channels available and how they’re being used. Creating a traditional media strategy, the relevance of media relations, the benefits of blogger engagement and methods for taking advantage of Twitter tools are all covered in this week’s post. We also look at how established brands are taking on new media.
A new plan for taking on a changing media world (PR Week)
As the media changes, strategies must also be altered to meet the needs of various outlets. With more media platforms than ever to “search for, share, like, criticize, and rework” messaging, public relations professionals must create the best strategies possible to communicate with their audiences across multiple platforms.
Traditional public relations efforts must now be combined with digital tactics to “understand the power of listening, relationship building, and influence.” Important considerations when creating your integrated strategy include:
- Goals
- Audience
- Rules of engagement
For the full list and more tips, visit the article.
Three Reasons Why Media Relations Still Matters (Business2Community)
Building and maintaining relationships with the media is still an ever-important practice for public relations pros. While the task may seem daunting with so many media outlets available, author Melissa Kvitko offers a variety of reasons justifying the importance of maintaining relationships with traditional media.
Well-established relationships with the media can help ensure that pitches are opened, offer better knowledge of reporter tendencies and result in insider tips. “While content is critical–and becoming more so in an integrated world—spending the time to develop media relations is also an intrinsic part of the value we bring to clients, and the time to build these relationships is time well spent,” stated Kvitko.
PR Insider: 5 Most Effective Techniques for Blogger Outreach (PR News)
According to the article, “eighty-one percent of the online population trusts bloggers,” which makes blogs a media force to be reckoned with. If they aren’t already, public relations pros should utilize the power of the blog to their clients’ benefit. There are certain areas in which blogger outreach is effective for public relations strategies, including:
- To make an announcement
- To create brand awareness
- To promote best assets
Allowing bloggers to test products, to learn about a brand’s best assets and to communicate unique attributes of brands with their loyal following can help generate buzz-worthy conversation in the blogosphere. More benefits are included in the article.
How Twitter lists can make you a better PR pro (Meltwater)
Twitter’s list tool creates a unique opportunity for public relations pros to target new and traditional media. By organizing similar users into groups, tweets from journalists, bloggers and other media will appear in feeds by list. With similar messaging appearing in one feed, keeping up with trends, maintaining relationships with the media and overall engagement will become easier.
With the new list function, you can “maintain your existing relationships with journalists who have covered your business,” closely follow industry journalists for future pitching opportunities and get a better understanding of what particular bloggers write about.
New media investing in favor but hazards lurk (Reuters)
Brands are utilizing new media websites such as BuzzFeed and Business Insider to boost their outreach through the outlets’ shareability on Facebook, Twitter and other social media. Many, however, are struggling to adjust their strategies to incorporate new technology.
“In most media areas, established brands have not been able to understand technology, utilize technology and modify themselves for technology,” Eric Hippeau, a managing director at Lerer Ventures and contributor to the article.
To overcome their media obstacle, corporations that are well-versed in traditional media are turning to startups to create campaigns targeting new media and incorporating both into their overall strategy. By combining the skills of pros in both forms of media, brands can create an effective integrated media strategy.
Faith Goumas is the public relations associate at the Public Relations Society of America.
