At KCD Public Relations we use an approach we like to call PR 3.0, in which public relations, traditional marketing, and social media marketing work together to increase brand recognition and promote growth. In the past, a PR professional only had to be concerned with monitoring and interacting with the daily news cycle. Today, we are concerned with not just the news but also conversations happening on blogs, social media and the like, which never stop or go to commercial. The Internet brought a tremendous leap forward in technology, and many companies are still struggling to capitalize on all of the benefits a strong online presence can bring. Here, we will discuss the basics of how to integrate PR 3.0 into your website, and why the implementation of these three components will create a more engaging experience for your visitors, and more actionable data for your company or organization.
Public Relations
- The first and most obvious component of PR 3.0 is public relations, which may seem like a strange fit for online implementation, at first. However, once your media relations activities result in successful media placement, your website needs a place to showcase this information. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) loves links to reputable websites so having a News & Press page on your website is crucial to link back to these news articles, press releases, and television segments. Having a dedicated page for media results and not relying solely on a blog will result in improved SEO and convey to the media that you are an expert in your field. Talk with your web developer about adding a page dedicated to past media coverage and update this page regularly!
Marketing
- The next component of PR 3.0 is your traditional marketing efforts. This includes the basic marketing rules for websites: using logos and corporate color schemes to brand your site, weaving the company message and value proposition into the “About Us” section, and including company slogans when appropriate. But a PR 3.0 enabled website goes beyond that by taking advantage of new online technologies that assist in identifying and tracking potential customers. This is done by ensuring your site’s meta-tags include all relevant keywords for SEO, including Google Analytics coding to monitor how visitors are moving around the site, and creating a squeeze page that uses cookies to store information about each unique visitor and keep a record to see if they return to the site at a later date. Of the three pillars of PR 3.0, marketing is the only one in which you and your company have complete control of the way you present yourself, while PR relies on the media and social media relies on the online community.
Social Media
- The final, and least traditional, component of PR 3.0 is social media marketing. Social media ultimately deepens your online presence so it is important to have these pages accurately reflect your website branding. Displaying the links to your company social media pages on every page of your site is crucial. We suggest using the logo buttons that each of these sites provide its users. You also have the option to edit these buttons to better match your website (take a look at the top right corner of www.kcdpr.com for an example of what these buttons look like). If your company has a large online presence, or if your social media followers are very active, then you might consider including a social media feed on your homepage that displays recent comments, tweets, or updates from your different social networks. These two tools provide visitors with a quick way to view your online presence, which is rapidly becoming a major factor in consumer perception as the vast majority of people research companies online.Keep these tactics in mind when building your website, as having a site that is PR 3.0 capable will engage your audience more than websites that were created before Facebook, Twitter or even Google became dominant players online. Modern internet technology is a treasure-trove of data for both you and your visitors, creating an experience that provides valuable information (for both the company and the consumer). Having a comprehensive, engaging online presence is the best way to attract visitors, convert them into leads and eventually customers. If you want to learn more about PR 3.0, visit our website or schedule a call with us today!
