What Is Digital PR And How Do You Find A Digital PR Agency?

Founder Of International Agency Believe Advertising & PR | Best-Selling Author| Helping Entrepreneurs Gain Global Media Coverage.

It’s a fast-paced world we live in, and when it comes to your marketing strategies, it is no different. Just because a marketing or PR strategy worked for you a year or two ago doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be as effective today. When it comes to publicity, most marketing managers and entrepreneurs have realized by now that just having a strong publicity campaign will no longer cut it.

What is digital PR?

With the majority of the world now on the web, you need to have a strong digital presence, which is where digital publicity (digital PR) can help your business scale.

Digital PR is essentially the digital strategies and tactics a brand takes to boost its online appearance and connect with journalists to get news stories about the business and its thought leaders published. Investing in digital PR will also help with your SEO strategy, which is important because nowadays everyone needs to be Google-worthy. When it comes to selecting a restaurant, hotel or even a tradesperson, most people will Google them, and it’s no different for selecting a product or service, especially if you have a B2B offering.

How do you get started with your digital PR campaign?

Just like with traditional publicity, you need to work out your angle—what makes you newsworthy?—then write a press release and pitch it to your targeted media outlets. If you’re time-poor or don’t have the press contacts to reach out to, a digital PR agency can lend a hand.

When you’re trying to find the right digital marketing firm for your business, it can be difficult to know where to start. Below, I’ll share my tips to help you find the right company for your needs.

Do your research.

When you’re looking for an external digital PR agency to help your business, it’s important to do your research. You don’t want to choose an agency that won’t be a good fit for your company’s goals and vision.

Before choosing, decide on what kind of target audience you want to reach, and consider your brand and what kind of PR strategies you want to implement.

For example, are you seeking to boost your SEO ranking? This would shape where your story would be published and, therefore, you’ll only want to consider online press rather than traditional print. Are you looking for coverage internationally to help your business scale? If so, you’ll want to be sure that your digital PR agency has a proven track record of gaining clients international press coverage.

It’s also important to check out online reviews. This is one of the simplest strategies to find a digital PR agency that is ideal for your organization. If you are unfamiliar with the industry, this is pretty important. Online reviews can help you find a firm that is reputable enough for your standards. They can also help you to learn about any potential problems that you might encounter when working with this company. Be mindful of any unfavorable web reviews before selecting an agency. Don’t allow them to deter you from making the best decision though. Instead, use them as a resource to identify a trustworthy business that can suit your demands.

Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, it’s time to interview companies. It’s important to meet with representatives from different companies so that you can get a sense of their approach and what they can offer your business. Do your best to find a firm that fits your needs as not all firms are created equal.

When doing your research and interviewing agencies, there are red flags to look out for. Some of them include:

• Finding out you’ll be allocated an account manager, and not working with the person you’re speaking with during the meeting.

• There’s a fixed number of hours allocated for your job each month.

• They take a long time to respond to your new business inquiry.

Consider the investment.

What is your overall budget for the project? It is essential to take into account investment and the ROI. Furthermore, take into consideration how long you will be utilizing the company’s services. Some firms may require a year-long commitment.

It’s important to think about both the cost and the quality of the work they will provide. Businesses may choose based simply on cost, disregarding the quality of the services that they deliver.

Look for client testimonials.

Make sure that the company you choose has a good reputation in the industry. Do they offer client testimonials from people who they have worked with previously?

Think about what you want from a digital marketing company.

Consider carefully what you want from the services that the agency will offer. There are many various kinds of digital PR agencies, and each one has advantages and disadvantages of its own.

Some clients prefer an external firm to handle every aspect of the process. These are businesses that may lack the time or knowledge necessary to manage their presence and content. Other businesses want to be involved in the planning process from start to finish. They want to be able to choose which products and services they use, rate them and make changes as needed. This type of customer is best served by someone that provides tools and resources so users can manage their accounts.

No matter what type of customer you are, it is important to find a firm that meets your specific needs.

With so many PR companies out there, it can be hard to decide which one is right for your business. These strategies will hopefully help you narrow down your search and find the company that perfectly fits your business and goals and help strengthen your online presence in no time at all.

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Author: Adrian Falk, Forbes Councils Member