PR activities online – what are the latest trends?

Good PR activities (public relations activities) of the brand on a daily basis are those that are virtually invisible to the uninformed. On the other hand, PR activities in crisis situations must be clear and quick. The Internet allows you to plan them in both cases much more effectively than before. PR activities on the Internet are the fastest growing area of PR.

What will you learn from the article?

In the digital era, where every brand or company is at our fingertips, conducting effective PR (Public Relations) activities online is becoming not only a privilege of large corporations, but a necessity for every company. The Internet has changed not only the way we communicate on a daily basis, but also how we build and manage brand reputation. In this post, we will delve into the world of online PR activities; we will understand their meaning, goals and challenges. We will discuss why even negative opinions on the Internet can be a valuable lesson and how appropriate PR strategy can turn the situation to the company's advantage. We will analyze what exactly PR activities are in a digital context, what their main functions are and why, regardless of the scale of activity, it is worth investing in public relations services.

From Global Communications Report shows that 90% of the experts from the industry, PR and marketing activities are beginning to penetrate each other more and more. At the same time, only one in ten marketers takes into account in their work public relations (according to Content Marketing Survey 2019). This means that it is one of the few fields where you can still stand out on the web. Why? Because still not every company uses the right strategy. Here's what he advises PR agency.

What are PR activities and what is their sense?

PR activities / public relations activities – first of all, it is worth knowing what exactly it is about. The simplest definition says that it is the area of communication of an organization, company, person with the media and public opinion in order to build a positive image that correlates with the mission of the organization or enterprise.

You can find one in a large agency or organization responsible for PR activities many specializations. These include community relations, media relations, lobbying, crisis management and many others. Their main tasks include, to varying degrees, crisis prevention, maintaining a good image despite the crisis, and contacts with the media.

Not everyone realizes that goals public relations can be measured. They are often expressed as numbers or percentages, e.g. X more reach on the Internet or X newspapers that will write about the company. They perform PR activities three functions. The basis in most activities is image function. This is then educational and integration function.

PR activities - definition

Knowing the definition of Public Relations, what it is, what are the functions and goals of PR, we are able to reflect on another issue, which is what PR activities really are? Experts' definitions that can be found in many positions help us in this.

Public relations activities, first of all "They serve to create a positive image and build ties with the environment." - explains Barbara Rozwadowska in "Public Relations. Theory, Practice of Perspective ”. In addition, thanks to these activities, we are able to gain and maintain a loyal group of customers.

Ewa Cenker in the book "Public relations" describes what these activities involve. He points out that "aiming at influencing social groups, discovering what people like about themselves and strengthening those likes and discovering what they do not like, is recognizing the aspirations of society and determining the directions and methods of acting in the social interest, as well as systematic efforts to mutual understanding between the organization and society. "

PR activities - quotes

Many authors list specific public relations activities that companies perform. One of the main PR activities is media relations, i.e. media relations. Lechosław Garbarski in the book "Marketing" says that "They consist in providing free information to media representatives so that they can be used by them as journalistic material. In relations with the media, the following are most often used:

- press materials sent to the editorial office and journalists,

- press conferences for journalists,

- interviews with the company's employees conducted by journalists,

- study visits (inviting journalists to the company and showing them, for example, the production process),

- newsletter. "

Certainly, these actions are very well known and completely obvious. And yet there are still many companies that neglect this area of marketing. It should be remembered that thanks to properly planned activities with the media as part of public relations, the company not only builds its positive image. It also has a chance to respond to threats in the environment and take appropriate steps in crisis situations.

More examples of public relations activities were proposed by Agnieszka Żbikowska in "Marketing public relations and social media". These are: sponsorship and product placement, special events such as presentations, exhibitions, seminars and newsletters and publications.

Hanna Adamkiewicz-Drwiłło in "The determinants of the company's competitiveness", writes a wide list of public relations activities: "creating publications about products and services, e.g. in the form of brochures or folders, organizing events, participating in radio and TV broadcasts, participating in social and political life, charity work. "

Examples of PR activities according to Budzyński ("Public relations, strategy and new techniques of image creation") are: publicity (i.e. cooperation with the mass media), creating the company's identity, sponsoring, lobbying, crisis management, editing own publications, or some forms of advertising, the purpose of which is to create an image of the entire enterprise, not only about its products or services. "

Are online PR activities necessary?

We currently live in two alternative worlds - online and offline. The Internet is today the largest and fastest source of information. You are not online - you do not exist. Therefore, PR activities on the Internet are necessary, especially at the stage of introducing a company or a new offer to the market, as they allow for the most effective communication and building brand identity in the minds of recipients.

Nowadays, there is no stronger medium than social networks. By creating and publishing content, photos or videos that are attractive, surprising and emotional for the recipient, we have a chance that our "content" will spread all over the Internet and reach a wide range of potential customers. Because image in social media is creating an image of the company in the hearts and minds of customers.

Public relations activities - the active and at the same time engaging presence of the brand in social media helps to build long-term relationships with customers and maintain contact with them at every stage of their purchasing decisions. Thanks to effective PR activities in the network and promoting activities aimed at co-creating content by our recipients, we have a chance to build a group of loyal observers and even ambassadors of our brand.

Professionalism, expressed by providing valuable content, will allow your organization to build the image of an expert in a given industry, which in turn translates into increased trust and greater sales. This will enable not only regular and consistent PR activities online, but also close observation of trends and the willingness to learn how to use the latest functionalities of individual communication tools.

The multitude of e-PR tools means that our presence on the Internet is now almost unlimited, and we have the opportunity to build the image of our brand without any time or quantity restrictions. Will it always be like this? Time will tell.

Examples of public relations activities

PR activities in duty brand image press releases or interviews with the media. The educational function may be aimed, for example, at explaining the company's operating principles or goals. This can be understood by the example of a small manufacture that creates a video in which it explains the complicated production rules that affect the price. The educational function of public relations can also help dispel myths about the product or its properties.

Example? A situation where the PR department of a company producing alcohol educates about responsible drinking. PR activities in the service of the integration function aim at ensuring that all activities of the company serve a good image. An example may be the supervision of the public relations department over the emerging website, running social media or influencing marketing activities.

PR activities in crisis situations

Every day PR activities have a fairly predictable course and form. Crisis management and PR communication in crisis are at the other extreme. They are so fascinating that their fast pace and surprising twists can be seen in numerous films and series: The Morning Show, Our Brand is Crisis, Thank you for smoking and many more. In a crisis, PR activities are aimed at minimizing losses in terms of the company's image and preventing the escalation of negative emotions around the brand. Their aim is also to avoid similar situations in the future.

Emergency response times always had to be short, but social media put additional pressure on PR people. Tweets or Facebook posts can have millions of views. But the greatest interest is generated in the first hours and days after publication. It is very difficult to cool down vivid emotions with factual messages. Sometimes they work non-standard marketing activitieslike a witty post relating to a situation, it wins at other times seriousness and content. Interestingly, sometimes no comment is the best strategy in a crisis situation. And this PR tool is also used by the consummate PR person from time to time.

What are the latest trends in public relations?

The widespread availability of tools for monitoring and analyzing trends in the Internet allows you to plan PR activities (public relations activities) much more effectively than in the past. Earlier marketing audit and PR was only available to the biggest players. The smaller ones could, at best, conduct a customer survey. Today, the activities of competitors on the Internet can be observed, and even analyzed and measured. It is much easier too analysis of your own brand image. Thanks to that before it starts moving PR campaignproblem areas as well as strengths can be precisely identified. You can specify the target group and even plan what kind communication channels will allow you to reach it precisely. It is also new e-Ombudsman function. It is a slightly more free form of expression than in the traditional PR department, and above all, online activity only, in an environment such as social media and blogs.

It is worth knowing that the editor of a popular nationwide newspaper receives on average several dozen press releases a day per e-mail. This prompts public-relations specialists to take more and more non-standard activities. This involves both the novel form and content of the e-mail itself, and a back-to-back activity. Baskets with flowers or a personalized invitation are also not always impressive, but more so unconventional PR activities can effectively attract attention.

PR activities in social media

In recent years, PR activities had to adapt to the rapidly changing digital reality - especially social media. Many owners quickly completed an accelerated PR course on the Internet. From the first carefree comments and posts on social profiles, through the stage of exaggerated professionalism, which shocked with artificiality, to the present day controlled play.

Being able to weigh words is very useful in social mediaalthough their nature is quick reactions and spontaneity. This paradox forces many people to entrust PR activities to professionals. Experts take the burden of their daily presence and activity on social networks off them.

PR activities in the network - the most common mistakes

Companies conducting PR activities / public relations activities in the network most often make the following mistakes:

• Absence.

The Internet is like an endless ocean of information. You never know where the chance for a potential customer will come across your offer. Observe trends and be there where representatives of your target group spend the most time.

• Passivity.

It is not enough to be on the Internet, it is necessary to be active in it. Your website and social media profiles need to be vibrant. Every day you have to surprise, help, inform, provide emotions and entertainment. Only then does your presence make sense, and sooner or later it will be appreciated.

• Standard.

Don't be afraid of bold and original ways to be present on the Internet. The online world loves innovators. Find an extraordinary idea for an online presence and consistently implement it. Short-term quality does not pay, so do not be afraid to arouse emotions - marketing innovations it's not the domain of the biggest brands!

• Lack of willingness to learn.

The internet is changing every day. The creators of social networks flexibly adjust their offer to changing trends, needs and preferences. They react closely to the changing market, adding more and more new functionalities and formats, thanks to which you can present the possibilities of your company even more effectively. You, too, need to pay close attention and learn to make full use of these tools. Not only to keep up with the competition. You can even walk far ahead of her.

• Unprofessional approach.

A professional who has the appropriate knowledge and skills should be responsible for your PR activities in the network. Just because you can navigate the Internet yourself doesn't mean you know how to build your brand strength in it. Outsourcing individual activities to PR agencies will allow you, above all, to gain time and energy to develop other aspects of your business activities.

What are the goals of PR activities?

The goal of each company is effective sales - this is the overarching goal to which other activities should be subordinated. Contrary to popular belief, online PR activities sell, but do not sell right away.

In order to conduct effective PR activities in the network, it is necessary to have a good understanding of the specifics of all available communication tools and channels. The development of the Internet has forever changed the proportions of sending and receiving messages. In social media, we are not dealing with an omnipotent sender and a passive recipient of content, as is the case with classic advertising messages. In social media, the recipient is the most important.

Effective online PR activities are based on building an engaged community around your brand. This will not happen in a week or even a month. It is extremely important to maintain continuity and publish content that is thoughtful, engaging and interesting for the reader.

Examples of PR activities

Public Relations activities can take various forms:

• media activity - activity of a press spokesman, press releases, interviews in the press, reports on the company's cooperation with other entities or institutions, press statements, press conferences, reports on preparations for a new production or company development, films about the company's history or the technological process used, broadcasts and talks with experts, running profiles in social media, cooperation with industry portals, online press office, information databases for journalists, website operation, blogs and videoblogs,
• meetings and gifts - symposia, conferences, seminars, maintaining personal contacts with clients, contractors, business partners and industry experts, lobbying, participation in parties and industry events, gifts and gadgets reminding about the existence and activities of the company, company open days for clients or employees' families, meetings with experts,
• publishing, exhibition and postal activities - brochures, leaflets, folders about the company, its history and scope of activity, company calendars and occasional prints, exhibitions and exhibitions illustrating the history of the company's development, information stands at prestigious fairs, sending occasional letters, holiday greetings, invitations to corporate events and events, maintaining letter and telephone contacts with customers, contractors and business partners,
• charity - donating funds and things to charity and sponsoring scientific, artistic or sports activities,
• crisis management - preparation of crisis management procedures, training of the crisis team, development of rules for cooperation with the media during a crisis,
• creating identity - developing a trademark and logo as well as a book of signs (visual standards), implementing an identification system and securing the right to the identification system.

What PR activities to start at the beginning?

When starting practical activities in the field of Public Relations, the hardest thing to do is to take the first step. Before we prepare and implement professional PR programs, we must start with an in-depth analysis of our resources.

In the first step, we need to gather opinions about our company. It is about those that prevail on the market in the closer and more distant surroundings, with customers, competitors or potential business partners. Then we need to start the media monitoring system. This will help us keep gathering information about us, the industry and our main competitors. At this stage, the SWOT analysis (strengths and weaknesses as well as potential opportunities and threats) is also extremely important. In the next step, it is necessary to determine what PR activities and techniques have been used by the company so far and with what effect.

The process of Public Relations activities can be divided into four phases:

• Preliminary research,
• planning and programming,
• influencing selected groups of the environment,
• evaluation of program implementation.

How to build a company's PR?

Companies use different public relations tools to shape your image. They can organize large campaigns and events promoting an idea close to a given brand, unusual street actions, and also influence the journalist and what is published in the mass media.

Several years ago, PR was reserved only for large entities. However, the computerization of the editorial office significantly facilitated the preparation of information for publication. In turn, the advent of e-mail, websites and social media has democratized access to the media.

Of course, contacts and money are still extremely important, but they are no longer the only conditions for effective PR activities. Regardless of what your company does, you can base your PR activities on the same path:

1. Determine what is important or interesting you have to communicate to the world.
2. Think who you want to reach with your information.
3. Designate methods (tools and media) that will enable you to reach the right one with the message target audience.
4. Think about the form by which you will be able to present your information in a way that is attractive to the recipient.
5. Prepare relevant content, graphics, photos and companies.
6. Publish them in your media and contact selected editorial offices.
7. Monitor the network and share content that has appeared about your brand.

Do you know the functions of PR?

Public Relations is indispensable where it is important to shape and maintain a specific image and influence the opinions of other people.

We distinguish the following PR functions:

• image function, allowing the creation of a specific image of the company,
• information function, allowing for a fast and effective flow of information between the company and its environment,
• coordination function, allowing for the coherent and harmonious functioning of the company,
• contact function, allowing to build and maintain proper relations with the environment, clients and business partners,
• persuasive function, allowing to strengthen a specific attitude of recipients towards the company,
• stabilization function, allowing to maintain specific relations with the environment, especially after an image crisis.

Public Relations on the example of running an on-line store

If you run an online store, your website is of course your primary platform for online PR activities. From the image point of view, the website must be clear, aesthetic and functional. It should also be based on very good quality photos, graphics and content. Descriptions and multimedia available on the website must replace the opportunity for the environment to watch the company and its offer live.

For an online store, an important element of building Public Relations on the Internet is the so-called SEO PR. An aesthetic, functional and valuable website will be useless, if the representatives of our target group do not find it. Positioning is influenced not only by the content of the website itself, but also by its reputation, measured, among others, by through the quantity and quality of external links. Remember, however, that Google does not like link exchange systems or directories that exist only to position their pages. In the Internet, as in life - what counts is quality, not quantity. SEO PR is a process, not a one-time event. In order to gain and maintain a good position, you should constantly update your website, add new content, as well as monitor and correct texts already added.

One of the most effective Public Relations activities on the Internet used by online entrepreneurs is the so-called word of mouth (viral) marketing. It consists in the fact that people considered to be "opinion makers" become "infected with a virus" of a given message. They infect other people with it, providing them with certain information - positively or negatively related to a given company or its offer.

Online PR tool

The Internet is currently the fastest source of obtaining and transferring information. The way the Internet is used in Public Relations is influenced by the specific features of this medium: universality, globalism, interactivity, selectivity, multimedia, accessibility, speed and development. Public relations on the Internet is most often used to shape the company's image, maintain relations with the media and maintain internal communication.

To appear in the network, you must first enter it. The modern use of the Internet to cooperate with journalists consists in creating own information services (website, social networks, online press office) and the use of external websites (industry portals).

The aim of Public Relations activities on the Internet is to obtain positive opinions about our company and its offer. Initiate interesting discussions, instead of boring others with information and dazzling with advertisements. Be interesting and let others find you and read information about you.

Should everyone have a PR strategy?

Strategy Public Relations it should ensure planning and continuity of activities as well as their mutual synchronization with other elements of promotion. An interesting concept of creating a PR strategy is the use of the 6M model, which is subject to making decisions regarding: the company's mission, target groups, available budget, shared content, used PR techniques and research on their effectiveness.

The Public Relations strategy must ensure a two-way exchange of information between the company and the groups around it. It is necessary to fully use the potential of all available PR tools. Check what activities leaders from other industries are taking. Let them inspire you. See what activities generate the most attention and analyze the reasons why. And remember, original ideas allow you to go beyond the usual patterns and reach the hearts of our observers even at low cost.

Key steps to a successful PR strategy: building reputation and trust

PR activities examples of companies that do it well can be multiplied. These are both large and small entities. It is worth considering the company's PR in your activities, regardless of the size of your business. Building reputation and trust is a key goal of any successful PR strategy. PR activities should focus on building long-term relationships with clients, business partners and the media. It is also necessary to regularly monitor the brand image as well as to react quickly and professionally to any crisis signals. Cooperation with experts, engaging the community and creating valuable communication within the company are the next steps that should be included in the PR strategy. Remember that building a reputation is a continuous process that requires commitment and consistency.

Strengthening the company's image through public relations services: key tools and strategies

Strengthening the company's image is extremely important, and appropriate PR activities will certainly be useful to achieve this goal. But what are the key tools and strategies that will give you the best results? In the first place, it is worth focusing on preparing a clear and coherent PR strategy, which will be based on respecting the company's values. The next step is to properly adjust the form of PR activities to the group of recipients we want to reach. It is also extremely important to use various communication channels, such as social media or industry conferences. Understanding the needs of recipients, choosing the right tools and the ability to convey valuable content in a thoughtful and attractive way for recipients - this is the key to success in building the company's image.

Harnessing new trends in PR: the evolution of communication in the digital age

Examples of public relations activities include: brand activity online. In the digital age, where the flow of information is fast and extremely wide, it is necessary to take advantage of new trends in PR to reach the largest possible audience. The evolution of communication that we are observing allows the use of various channels to conduct PR activities, such as social media, websites or using the support of opinion leaders. Therefore, it is extremely important to adapt the PR strategy to the dynamically changing reality and use its full potential.

Why is it worth investing in public relations services?

Usługi PR odgrywają kluczową rolę w budowaniu i utrzymywaniu pozytywnego wizerunku firmy. Odpowiednio zaplanowane działania PR pozwalają na skuteczne dotarcie do grupy docelowej, poprawę relacji z mediami oraz wzmocnienie rozpoznawalności marki.

Każda firma powinna opracować przemyślaną strategię PR, która uwzględnia nie tylko krótkoterminowe cele, ale również długofalowe korzyści dla marki. W ramach tej strategii ważne są działania public relations, takie jak organizacja konferencji prasowych, współpraca z influencerami, czy tworzenie kampanii informacyjnych, które przyczyniają się do budowania zaufania i pozytywnego odbioru wśród klientów.

Odpowiednio prowadzone działania PR mogą znacząco wpłynąć na postrzeganie firmy i jej wartości, co jest szczególnie istotne w dobie wzmożonej konkurencji i szybkich zmian w otoczeniu rynkowym.

Investing in public relations activities in a company brings many benefits. Especially in today's world where marketing and public relations play key roles in building a brand image. PR activities allow you to effectively create and promote a unique one company image and increase its recognition in the market. In addition, well-conducted PR activities can affect the perception of the company by customers, which translates into loyalty and commitment, and ultimately to increased sales and profits. By investing in public relations services, the company can also establish favorable relations with the media and communicate effectively with clients, which is of great importance for effective communication. Therefore, it is worth investing in PR activities to develop your company and achieve positive results.