Traditional vs. Online Public Relations

The world of public relations is changing rapidly. In the old days, PR meant coming up with clever news angles, then pitching them to reporters who were on deadline and didn’t want to be interrupted. Or, it meant writing a press release and sending it out over the wire to the fax machines and inboxes of journalists who typically relegated it to the circular file, after glancing quickly at the headline.

Today, journalists are using the internet the same way you are. When they’re interested in a topic, they google it. If you don’t show up in the search results, the journalists don’t contact you. So “search” has become the new buzzword in the PR world, launching new niche industries like SEO-PR.

For most businesses and organizations, this is good news. The internet has leveled the playing field for smart small businesses. As few as ten years ago, journalists were the gatekeepers. If you wanted the general public to hear your message, you had to convince a reporter to tell your story. Today, the internet allows companies and organizations to tell their story directly to the general public. Blogs, websites, email newsletters, Facebook and twitter allow businesses to keep in touch with people who are interested, right now, in what you have to say.  Instead of “pushing” a message through outbound marketing, the internet allows us to “pull” people in when they’re open to our message, through inbound marketing.

Of course, traditional PR still lives. A story on the front page of the New York Times can still make or break a business. Personal relationships with reporters still matter, though they might be online relationships. Newsworthy angles and good writing skills are still important, even when the target audience is the general public.

At grassrootsPR, we bridge the gap between traditional PR and internet PR by cultivating community with the media and the general public. Having worked on both sides of the newsroom, we understand what’s newsworthy and how to make the headlines. We are also early adaptors of social networks and smart keyword strategies to ensure journalists and potential customers alike find our clients when they’re looking for information about their area of expertise. By using the right combination of traditional and online public relations methods, we help our clients cultivate community, both online and IRL.

Contact GrassrootsPR to start cultivating community.