The Message and the Medium The practice of public relations has always been about one thing: communicate a message persuasively to achieve a desired result. New techniques and media have come and gone, but the principles have remained the same. Simple, open and timely communication of a message designed to enhance and ensure the success of an organization.
So what does all that goblty-gook mean? Simple: people value many of the same qualities in an organization as they do in a person. Have you ever heard of someone being condemned for being a straight-talking, honest, stand-up guy? No, I didn’t think so. Those are qualities we value in people, so why not organizations?
The channels of this communication have traditionally flowed down two different streams. The first is the use of self-generated media such as advertising or “public information”. You create the message and put it before your public using a variety of media ranging from print to television and everything in between.
The second traditional method is to engage the news media in some way to get them to put your message out there for you. While often better received and considered more trustworthy than ads and the like, engaging the media also involves a certain loss of control. The media don’t always understand (or even care about!) your message, nor do they always spin it the way you’d like.
Old Wine in New Bottles Enter the new kid on the block. Though the internet has actually been around since the 70s, its widespread use has really only been in the past 10 years. When you think of that, it’s hard to fathom just what an impact it has had on our world in such a short time.
The internet’s impact on public relations is no exception. Without question the internet is the most versatile PR medium ever devised. This one channel can carry virtually all forms of communication, from text to multi-media. Corporate directories, resource materials, employee handbooks, sales and marketing information, company and product news: the possibilities are endless.
As if that weren’t good enough, the internet also has an amazing ability to act as two-way communication. By definition, a conversation is a dialog, not a monolog. How about video-conferencing or discussion groups? And don’t forget suggestion boxes, online surveys and blogs. You can find out the needs, wants and opinions of your public like never before. Careful consideration of this information allows you to be more pro-active than reactive, and that is the best form of PR possible.
Reach your public down the street or on the other side of the world. All sorts and sizes of organizations can now have a powerful and global reach. Using the web is both cost-effective and highly flexible. Unlike traditional PR methods, organizations can change or enhance their message quickly and cheaply.
Online PR and Search Marketing:
A Match Made in Heaven But, (and there’s always a but) there’s one hitch in this beautiful scenario. Online PR and search marketing are inextricably linked – you can’t reach your public if they can’t find you. You can have the best, most profound message in the world, but if no one sees it, it’s not much good.
For online PR to be effective, you need to drive people to your website. And to do that you need a solid strategy of natural and paid search methods. Attracting visitors to your site means ranking high on the search engines (like Google and Yahoo) for the sorts of terms relevant to your organization. Building powerful and effective websites that are search-friendly and loaded with relevant content is the key.
The internet is here to stay, so organizations need to learn to deal with it. Rather than shy away from it due to fear or ignorance, embrace it. Use it to your advantage. It’s a fantastic tool: powerful, cost-effective, flexible, versatile… what more do you need?
Online PR: Old wine in new bottles - To learn more about this author, visit Peter Sickles's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 |
Related Articles |
|
 Lesson #3: Be Ruthless and Rise to the Challenge
|
| |
 “You make the wine and I’ll sell it,” Gallo once told his younger brother. Gallo never wanted to be involved in the fine details of making fine wine. What Gallo wanted was to get out on the sales floor, to hit the s...
|
|
The Wine Giant: How Ernest Gallo Got His Start
|
| |
Ernest Gallo was not your typical billionaire. Up until the day he died, he insisted on keeping his home number listed in the public phone book; he wanted everyone to be able to find him. But it is exactly traits li...
|
|
Effective E-Marketing Campaigns for Entrepreneurs
|
| |
This article looks at an online wine seller and how they've utilized e-marketing campaigns to reach their customers. This is a low-cost way to reach customers and build relationships with potential customers. All ...
|
|
Lesson #2: Nothing Makes Up for Dogged Hard Work
|
| |
From the time he was a young boy, Gallo lived and breathed wine. His father’s winery might have never taken off to the degree the family had hoped, but it was still an important introduction into the business for hi...
|
|
Buying Back Customers
|
| |
Five other peoples joined us for dinner. My wife and I ordered “medium rare.” We were served “well done.” Three others in our group weren’t happy with their dinners as well. I didn’t cross the establishment off my l...
|
|
|
|
![[Get Copyright Permissions]](http://license.icopyright.net/images/icopy-w.gif){kind=small}
