What is Digital PR and Why You Need to Take Advantage of It
What is digital PR anyway? Maybe you have heard that term thrown around or maybe I am the first person introducing it to you.
Let me get this out of the way from the start: it is not the same thing as link-building.
I have seen too many thought leaders and, dare I say it, marketers that talk about digital PR as if they know what it is and just chalk it up as another form of link-building. But that just isn’t true.
So let’s start to answer, “what is digital PR?”
Well, it’s…it’s like a…it’s like digital PR!
Once upon a time, in the early 2010s, I was a young buck going to college. My family in tow, we were trying to find a place to buy some supplies when we pull up next to a Peeble’s.
My family and I are from Southern Indiana and so we think to ourselves, “what is Peeble’s?”
So, my dad, the ever-extroverted one of us all, asks a random stranger in the parking lot, “Excuse me. What’s a Peeble’s?”
The guy looks confused for a second saying, “Well, it’s…it’s like a…” and then, as if he just had the biggest brain blast you ever did see, “it’s like a Peeble’s!”
My dad, dumbstruck about what just happened and not wanting to wipe the smile off the man’s face says, “Oh, thank you, sir!” The man nods and walks into Peeble’s.
We did not walk into Peeble’s.
To this day, I still don’t know what a Peeble’s is.
…
So maybe you have stumbled across the term digital PR and are asking yourself, “What is digital PR?” Maybe you have done some research or checked out some LinkedIn posts.
I will not be telling you that it is what it is and you just have to somehow know what it is.
So don’t go believing people that reduce digital PR down to “like link-building” because it has the potential to consistently and drastically increase your organic traffic more than simple link-building.
What is digital PR?
First off, it stands for digital public relations (PR).
I have seen some descriptions of digital PR that state the results you can expect from doing solid digital PR efforts: enhanced brand perception and awareness, organic traffic growth, and building authority and credibility for your brand.
However, very few move from answering, “What does digital PR do?” and start to answer, “what IS digital PR?”
Similarly to link-building, digital PR does require you to build out a lot of content that, in some form or another, links back to your website. However, the process of how to do that is quite different.
Rather than writing a ton of guest posts and trying to get them published and distributed as many places as possible, digital PR requires you to be intentional with the kind of links you are building and who you are building them with.
For example, digital PR requires building up a network of top-quality publications, distributors, and even high-profile journalists, authors, and other writers.
Rather than build out a basic guest post with some kind of relevant topic and push it as many places as possible until someone bites…
…you instead carefully choose an appropriate “vendor” for your guest post.
- Whose audience will most benefit from my product or service?
- Which brand or individual will have a product or service that benefits from working with my product or service?
- What products or services supplement mine well?
- What audiences would I like to get my product or service in front of but haven’t had a chance yet?
Answering some of these questions, reading the content created by the brand or individual you select, and pitching them some content that both they and their audience will love.
That’s digital PR.
It takes a lot more work, but the quality of those links are worth more than 50 mediocre links.
More importantly, you are reaching a warmer audience. You are showcasing your brand as an authority and an expert by piggybacking off the authority and expertise of the brand/individual you are working with.
The best part, though?…
…you get to write for the content rather than for SEO.
You can actually write a great piece without any concern for keywords or spiders or search engines in general!
Ideally, these pieces of content work in favor for the person posting them as well because they will be high-quality pieces of helpful, valuable content for their audience. Which means they will push it out and publish it because it is a really great piece of content.
If you want to optimize the content for a keyword, that is your call. But always write for humans first and foremost.
What is digital PR? It’s one of the best ways to build your brand authority, trust, and reach in a meaningful and, honestly, a way more fun way.
Find some great brands and people to pitch to
Now that you see how digital PR is so much more than basic link-building, I am sure you will want to start finding the best brand and individuals to partner with! That is a little bit trickier of a topic, but start by reaching out to 1) journalists in your industry and 2) some of your favorite brands and thought leaders in your industry.
You no longer have to wonder, “what is digital PR?” when you see the term floating out in the world. In fact, you probably know more than some others out there.
If you want to learn more about various content marketing tips, strategies, and tactics, then I’d encourage you to spend some time perusing the DSM Blog. There’s loads of stuff there that I post and update all the time!
But if you really liked what you have seen here, then I have some great news: shoot me an email and we can chat about partnering together to grow your brand!!! Or just fill out this quick, simple form (but I’d much prefer a personal email, honestly).
Until next time, I appreciate you, friend!
