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Online Publicity

Ingredients for a Successful Online Public Relations Campaign
By Karen Pierce Gonzalez

An online public relations covers a vast territory. Unlike internet marketing which is specifically intended to drive direct sales, public relations is designed to deliver a tone-setting message, one that is more about how visible a business or organization is to its community.

This visibility is based upon how the business or organization’s relationship to the local and cyberspace community is perceived. And that perception has a great deal to do with the news the agency or group makes. It also answers the question about whether or not the business or organization provides real solutions to community needs and concerns.

For example, an ink cartridge company’s marketing message might focus in how the seller of this product can offer a volume discount to its customers whereas the public relations message could highlight what relationship that same ink cartridge company might have with a school computer or internet technology lab.

In this way, it’s easy to see that public relations is not a marketing step-child as some would believe.

Rather than persuading a select target market (like young mothers of young children) to purchase a particular product or service, it reaches out to the target market AND those who work with, live near or otherwise know the target market. This group is called the target audience and quite often is in a position to refer or suggest products and services they are have been introduced to through media exposure.

To gain credible media exposure be sure you’ve most if not all of these ingredients in your online public relations tool kit:

• Timely press releases / news releases that, ideally are no longer than one page in length.
• Online media kits with profiles, examples of already secured news coverage, etc.
• Interviews with key people on both sides of the relationship equation.
• Articles that reflect expertise and experience.
• Blog postings that highlight knowledge and thoughts about select community or industry-related topics.
• Letters to the Editor or Op-Ed columns for online publications.
• Email newsletters.
• Social networks.

Some of these tools are also used in internet marketing, but they are used differently. Consider article marketing. From the public relations perspective, the article will introduce someone as an expert and that will build credibility. From a marketing standpoint, a marketing article (similar to a sales letter) will drive sales and traffic to the retail site.

Online public relations strategies differ from those of marketing and it’s not always easy to distinguish which is what when it comes to cyberspace. It’s important to be able to know what the goal of each is and then to select and develop the tools that will best meet the desired result. In that way you can make clear and cost-effective choices about which public relations tools would be most appropriate for your online public relations needs.

Karen Pierce Gonzalez was interviewed about  online publicity on Big Blend Radio. To listen to the interview, please  click here.

Karen Pierce Gonzalez of Karen Pierce Gonzalez Public Relations has over 25 years of media/public relations experience and 3 decades of experience as a professional journalist and writer/writing facilitator with several literary awards to her credit. Learn more about her PR Campaign & Consultation Services at
www.KarenPierceGonzalez.com