Digital PR: what is the specifics and how to use it?

We talk about the features of digital PR in comparison with classical PR, about ways to evaluate it and other components of online communications.

Digital transformation has irrevocably changed all aspects of modern life. Naturally, the PR sphere did not stand aside and turned towards the digital environment. The audience communicates with the world online, and therefore brands need to build communication there.

The evolution of PR: how digital strategies differ from conventional ones

The difference between digital PR and classical PR is in the channels and tools. The essence of PR – public relations management – has remained unchanged. But if earlier the dialogue was built exclusively with the help of traditional media, then with their digitalization the focus has shifted. Online PR actively uses not only the online media, but also the authority of bloggers, the possibilities of online events and social networks.

What are the advantages of digital PR over classical PR:

• Reach: online platforms provide access to a wider audience than the vast majority of offline media.
• The accuracy of hitting the target audience: digital channels are often highly specialized, which means that it is possible to target specific consumer segments.
• More features: Targeted and contextual advertising tools are easily integrated into PR strategies. This allows you to create comprehensive campaigns and messages that are as relevant to the target audience as possible.
• Measurability of the result: the effectiveness of digital campaigns can be much more accurately analyzed than offline PR projects or print media, for example.
• Interactivity: the online environment opens up the possibility for a full-fledged dialogue with the audience, collecting feedback and involving users in interactive formats.

Is offline PR hopelessly outdated?

Of course not. Offline is not only not outdated, but it has become more valuable in its own way. A striking example is the pandemic. The total withdrawal online during the lockdown demonstrated how important live interaction is. Ignoring this channel is short–sighted.

An effective modern promotion strategy is based on an integrated approach. This is a combination of PR and marketing tools, online and offline channels, delivering key messages and working with feedback. This is a solution to strengthen loyalty, establish trusting contacts with the media, organize collaborations and attract ambassadors.

Nina Zinchenko, co-owner of the agency and lead account manager:

«Of course, digital PR is the undisputed leader today. Projects are often implemented entirely online. For example, a typical 2L case for the promotion of a new product includes the distribution of product news, the placement of materials in online media and reviews or integrations from bloggers.»

But a digital strategy does not exist in a vacuum, because a significant part of the media operates in a hybrid format, combining online and offline formats. Even entirely digital projects such as video games, for example, use offline channels from time to time: they participate in Tech exhibitions or organize tournaments at live venues.

Where is there more scope for creativity – in digital or offline?

The search for non-standard solutions is not limited by the format. Offline offers opportunities to create memorable events, while digital opens up a field for experimentation with interactivity, games, and challenges. At the same time, a creative idea can transform even such a routine tool as sending out press releases.

One day, we had the task of drawing the attention of journalists to the announcement of a video game update. Despite the fact that the target sites were online media, the key to success was offline activity — how exactly we conveyed the message to the editors. Creating the effect of immersion in the past, we prepared a message on vintage paper, carefully placing it in an elegant envelope, and then sent it to the offices of journalists by a man dressed according to the spirit of the chosen era – a real postal employee of the past, which corresponded to the plot of the game. It provoked a lively response, and we received a good pool of publications.

Digital PR Performance Analysis: tools and metrics

Digitalization of communications provides a key advantage – the ability to more accurately evaluate results. Medialogy, Brand Analytics, SCAN Interfax and other analytics services allow not only to take PR monitoring and evaluation tasks to a new level, but also to automate them.

At our agency, the main tool of media monitoring is «Medialogy«. The platform provides detailed analytics of the information field, including the following indicators:

1. Mentions. One of the key metrics of media activity, reflecting the number of publications in which the company is present.
2. Share of Voice (SOV). The percentage of brand mentions relative to industry competitors. Allows you to assess the balance of power in a niche.
3. Media Index. It characterizes the qualitative and quantitative presence of the brand in the information field. It takes into account the credibility of the media, the likely coverage, and how significant the brand’s role in the publication is.
4. The tone of the mentions. It reflects the emotional coloring of mentions in the media field – positive, neutral or negative.
5. Industry segmentation of the media. It allows you to analyze the brand’s representation in different media segments and find promising niches for communication.
6. The role in the publication. It shows the importance of the brand’s figure within the framework of a specific material. So, an article, even in a small industry media, can have serious weight if your product/company acts as the central subject of the material.

When evaluating, it is important not to focus on individual figures, but to look at the complex, not forgetting about the qualitative indicators.

Brand Analytics is currently considered the leader in the social media monitoring segment. The service makes it possible to track discussions of a brand or its product on social networks. This is especially important for ORM (online reputation management) and crisis management communications.

If the goal is to gain a certain market share (or expand), we will definitely look at the coverage and Share of Voice (SOV) in the Media Catalog. In anti-crisis PR, the priority will be the tone of mentions, and, as noted above, we will enable monitoring of social networks. When PR is intertwined with marketing in order to stimulate sales, clicks on links in materials and counting the use of promo codes (from articles, from bloggers) will be added to the metrics. When working with landing pages (when a separate promo site is created for a promotion or a new product), we enable Yandex.Metrica. It allows you to study user behavior and track conversions.

Analyzing the dynamics of search queries is a good indicator for measuring the growth of recognition. But it can be interpreted objectively, only in parallel there were no other advertising/PR activities that could affect statistics.

It is especially valuable when you can evaluate the dynamics of business indicators: sales, the average amount of the check, etc. However, it should be borne in mind that clients do not always provide access to such data. In addition, again, if different activities were carried out simultaneously, it becomes impossible to single out the direct impact of a particular PR campaign.

What promotion tools and channels work in digital PR?

Digital PR uses a much wider range of channels than electronic media. Cooperation with influencers remains one of the most effective ways to promote, especially when it comes to PR rather than direct advertising. The key to success is choosing native formats: organic reviews, product unboxing, challenges, and interactivity. However, in most cases, we recommend betting on small and medium-sized bloggers, as their audience demonstrates a higher level of loyalty and engagement.

Social networks and Telegram open up wide opportunities for PR today. These platforms are ideal for implementing creative formats, introducing gamification, conducting challenges, contests, and UGC content promotion campaigns.

Thematic blogs deserve special attention. The expert reviews of products and industry digests posted in them often demonstrate effectiveness comparable to publications in serious media (coverage is smaller, but the target audience is more concentrated and responsive with proper selection).

Let’s add context and target ads to the list. Despite the fact that this is advertising, and it certainly belongs to marketing tools, these channels are becoming a powerful addition to PR. When targeting an audience that we have already introduced to the product through the media, influencers, etc., CTR can pleasantly surprise. It is precisely this integrated approach, which harmoniously combines various communication channels, that demonstrates maximum effectiveness – as successful 2L cases regularly prove.