PR 2.0: PR Services for a Web 2.0 World
Marketing and PR Are Now One.
It used to work well to have marketing people focus on the customer and PR people focus on the media. The marketing people would create the advertising to reach new customers or launch a new product and the PR people would convince reporters to write stories about the company, product, or service. There was collective breath-holding between the two departments as a campaign was launched and they all waited to see what would happen.
This is the next generation. Now that we’re used to the idea of the Internet as a part of our everyday lives, we are living in an era called “Web 2.0,” which is marked by increased collaboration, communication, and interactivity and features social networking websites, online communities, video sharing sites, wikis, blogs, mashups, and more. All of this has influenced the way individuals, businesses, and, of course, marketing and PR professionals use the Internet. Hence, “PR 2.0.” is the evolution of public relations in the world of Web 2.0.
Today, we use buyer understanding and the Internet to publish our own “stories” that are designed for a specific type of buyer. We can bypass mainstream media altogether by delivering our stories, ideas and information directly through a company blog, fellow bloggers, social networks, and through search engine marketing.
Yet, PR 2.0 is about so much more than just publishing content. It’s about creating, influencing, and promoting online conversations between the people who influence and determine your fate: your customers, publishers, bloggers, employees, and other online influencers.
PR and Social Media Are One, Too.
PR and social media marketing are so intertwined, it’s almost impossible for us to talk about one without the other. Afterall, the social mediasphere is where much of PR 2.0 takes place, whether interacting with a potential customer on Twitter or striking up a relationship with an influential blogger, the lines between PR and social media marketing are blurred to say the least. (Be sure to visit our social media marketing services to learn more.)
Our PR 2.0 Services
Considering that marketing and PR are now a unified effort, PR really is inherent in everything we do as an inbound marketing agency. Think about it: Public. Relations. Inbound marketing is heavily weighted toward engaging prospects, leads, and current customers (the "public") in conversations (relations) that help facilitate their natural buying process. This engagement is public relations at its finest.
However, we do recognize that some inbound marketing services lend themselves to a more traditional view of PR and it’s helpful for clients to view them as such. Some of our inbound marketing services that fall on the side of PR include:
- Blogger relations
- Online media/publisher relations
- Online reputation monitoring and management
- Press release writing and online distribution
- Article writing and online distribution
- Online event promotion
- Social media/community management
- Social media marketing
