These days, the world and work of PR is inextricably linked going viral and to smart SEO (search engine optimization) practices by clients who live and breathe in the online, search driven world. Whether you're managing a multi-million dollar consumer brand or driving traffic to your retail store, online visibility (especially with Google, which accounts for 70% of searches, with Yahoo! and Bing farther behind) -- is the name of the game.
While getting earned media placement is still important to building brand awareness and credibility, the use of online/mobile continues to grow by leaps and bounds for everything from connecting with friends and colleagues (Facebook and LinkedIn, etc.) to product reviews to purchasing. For those of us with Smart Phones, we often don't make a move without using one of our handy apps (like The Find, which lets iPhone users comparison shop even while at retail). While not all content has the potential to go viral (nor should), to make the cut, the content needs to be worth passing along to others, AND it needs to be shared widely enough (and among influencers) to benefit from online networking.
According to www.socialmediamarketing.com, we share for a variety of reasons: it's hilarious, dramatic, incredible, deeply emotional, embarrassing, provocative, or unbelievable; it agrees with our worldview; it makes us stop and think; mainstream media isn't covering it; or it makes you smile. Visual content (think YouTube) rules, and when integrated with "connector" sites like Delicious, Stumbleupon, Digg or others; Twitter (especially among those with authority); and other blogs, you've got the platform to go viral. Now, all you need is compelling, brand-right content....often the most difficult challenge.
In terms of SEO (search engine optimization), there's paid and organic search. Properly executing PR with organic search in mind can help support visibility, rankings, and even serve as a way to own key messaging online--think of reporters, potential clients or other stakeholders "Googling" something germane to your business online...and finding you...again and again.
With Google owning search, in the last year, many of the free PR distribution sites (of which there were once more than I could count) are no longer integrated with Google news. In fact, what's most shocking is that even some of the paid services waffle about their relationships with Google. So, for the time being, I like the big, long-time leading services such as PR Newswire and Business Wire, both of which have recently amplified their online distribution....even for state wires, which are well priced. PR Newswire has an exclusive relationship with the Business Journals, and Business Wire, depending on industry, has great depth of trade distribution. For free services, I continue to like PRLog.com, PR.Com and OpenPR.com. ClickPress.com, which use to be a good free resource, recently became a modestly priced option, too.
Of course, SEO and "going viral" can easily misfire: Gaining true visibility for your brand still relies on solid, strategic content that is meaningful and truly reflective of your brand. Posting a poorly written release (that isn't optimized for SEO) or promulgating half-baked content online simply doesn't bode well for your brand. Like the olden days of PR, compelling, newsworthy content is still king. We're just serving it up in new ways...
