Back to The Lab

What is Digital PR and How Does it Work?

Photo of Küra Samouilhan
Küra Samouilhan
SEO Content Strategist

What is digital PR?

Digital Public Relations (PR) is a strategy used to increase brand awareness and visibility through online channels.

Unlike traditional PR, digital PR offers the advantage of reaching a broader audience in a measurable and targeted manner while also allowing companies to engage directly with their target audience anytime, anywhere.

As one of the fastest-growing services in the marketing space, demand for digital PR is driven by the need to build brand awareness and authority with both users and search engines like Google.

If you're not yet using digital PR to drive media coverage, acquire backlinks, enhance brand awareness, increase site traffic, and boost product sales, it's time to consider this powerful tactic.

what are the digital pr strategies?

  • 1. digital pr campaign

    Here at Kaweb, our favourite digital public relations strategy is a great campaign. With this strategy, our brilliant PR specialist starts by learning everything about the business, its pain points, target market, solutions, and the industry as a whole. 

    A brainstorming session then takes place, where the team comes up with relevant ideas from which we could gather factual data that the industry could benefit.

    Once the client has chosen the idea they like best, we go ahead and source the data, whether that be with surveys, through governmental websites, or by scouring the internet and putting together a new resource. 

    Then comes media outreach. Building relationships with journalists, bloggers, and influencers is a crucial element of a digital PR specialist's role.

    Our specialists reach out to these individuals, pitching stories and content that align with their interests and the needs of their target audience. If their digital PR efforts are successful, numerous top-tier publications will share or report on the story within weeks.

  • 2. responsive digital pr

    As digital PR has taken off, platforms have been created for this digital marketing strategy. Platforms like ResponseSource, Haro, and X (formally Twitter) enable individuals and PR professionals to connect directly with journalists.

    These digital PR tools work through the journalist making a request for information, which is sent to the database that corresponds with that topic (education, finance, AI, etc.). If your client or organisation suits the request and can answer it well, then you try your luck.

    Either by pitching a team member with authority and preferably a little clout in the industry or by sending through the responses they’re looking for. Then, you wait to see if the journalist is interested. If they are, your comment, guest post or product will be featured.

    It’s important to note that these opportunities differ vastly. Sometimes, the journalist will be happy to add a link to your homepage; sometimes, they won’t. Sometimes, they’ll include a little bio on the company or pitched professional; sometimes, they won’t.

    However, while this is not always the most trustworthy link-building strategy, it will still be good for brand awareness and EEAT signals.

  • 3. influencer partnerships

    Influencers hold a lot of sway in today’s digital landscape. By collaborating with influencers with a significant following on social media platforms, brands can tap into established audiences that trust the influencer's recommendations. 

    This partnership can take various forms, including product reviews, sponsored posts, or even social media takeovers.

    The key is to ensure that these collaborations feel authentic and genuine, enhancing the brand's trustworthiness.

how does digital pr work?

Digital PR starts with creating content that is not only engaging but also valuable and newsworthy.

In digital PR, we’re not looking for a high-volume, low-difficulty target keyword with which we can churn out a few guest posts on some sites. Instead, the idea is to craft content people want to read and share. 

This can range from press releases and guest articles to infographics and viral social media posts.

Once this content is created, the next step is distribution. Digital PR professionals email, call and work tirelessly to get this content in front of the right eyes, whether it’s through a popular industry blog, a high-traffic news site, a well-followed social media influencer, or all three.

why is online pr important?

  • In the last week or so, when you’ve gone to Google something you’re curious about or simply must know the answer to, have you trusted the response presented to you?

    Many would now answer that no, the search engine that used to give us the answers can’t really be trusted anymore. This might be because of SEOs' brilliance (well done, team), but the issue remains—it’s hard to trust the internet. 

    This is where Digital PR comes in. This marketing technique has a few positives, but most importantly, it serves as an excellent EEAT signal. 

  • This is because Digital PR makes use of independent, trusted, unbiased third parties to raise brand awareness and increase credibility. It does this both in terms of SEO, as a trusted backlink, and by actually influencing the public's opinion.

    After all, if you’re looking for a reliable smartwatch that won’t give in after three wears or a moment in the shower, will you trust the first option on Google or the sponsored post that jumps out through PPC? No, you’re far more likely to trust the reviewed watches of an independent third party. Digital PR gets that watch on the list.

  • An important element of a good digital PR strategy would also include ensuring that the watch on the list links back to your site. High-quality backlinks from authoritative sites are gold in the eyes of search engines.

    When a brand is mentioned and linked to by a trusted site, it signals to search engines that the brand is reputable, which can boost its rankings. This is a significant advantage in the competitive world of online search.

what's the difference between digital pr and traditional pr?

Factor

Digital PR

Traditional PR

Mediums and channels

Online publications, blogs, social media, podcasts, video channels

Print media (newspapers, magazines), TV, radio, events

Target Audience

Broader online audience

Specific media outlets, journalists, influencers

Speed & Responsiveness

Faster, real-time updates, quicker response to trends

Slower lead times, longer feedback loop

Audience Engagement

Two-way communication, fosters dialogue and community

One-way communication, limited interaction

Measurement & Analytics

Highly measurable with advanced tools (website traffic, social media engagement)

Limited measurement options (circulation, ratings)

Cost & ROI

Generally more cost-effective, higher ROI with targeted audiences

Can be expensive, ROI harder to pinpoint

the future of digital pr

Digital PR is more than just a buzzword; it’s a powerful tool that when used correctly, can significantly enhance a brand's reputation and visibility online. It’s about creating valuable content, building genuine relationships, and leveraging the vast digital landscape to tell your brand’s story in a way that resonates with your audience. 

If this all feels like a whole new role and not a little addition to an employee's day, you’re right.

Digital PR takes time, patience and a lot of work. So, if the enormous value of digital PR is clear and you’re determined to make a success of it, give us a call at 01543 414 564. Our team is eager to work with you to create an effective bespoke digital PR campaign for your specific organisation.

Related articles