Why PR is losing the social media battle: Day Two

Part two in a series of posts looking at PR’s bad rap when it comes to social media. Where did it go wrong and how to fix it…

PR doesn’t understand the internet

PRs, I love you, but you still don’t understand the internet. I don’t mean in the way that my mum doesn’t understand the internet, but basic stuff like Google.

A few years ago we worked with a national newspaper to get a write up on a client, this included that all important link from the publication’s website to the client’s website. Links are good right? Between patting ourselves on the back I called the client

Me: “We got [national newspaper] to write about you and they linked to your site!”

Client: “Meh. Yeah we only got about two traffic referrals from the article so big whoop. BTW I just spoke to our SEO agency, could you instead get us coverage from [other major news site] and [another niche site]?”

After smashing the phone in frustration while dying a little inside hanging up I decided to call my client’s Search agency. SEO is considered as evil, if not more so, than PR. I didn’t know what to expect but here’s how it went…

Me: “We do PR for CLIENT and I need to know what you need us to know”

SEO: “Wow! Thanks for calling! It’s so great to hear from a client’s PR agency. You guys do great work which is very valuable to us.”

The internet: Revolutionary but not evolutionary

I’m sorry -  Great work? Valuable? The SEO agency went further than stroking our egos. They sent over a list of the top sites, ranked in order of importance, where it was important for our client to be mentioned or linked from. They also sent us a list of keywords we should be including in all campaign activity and offered to check over press releases and make sure they were optimised.

Basically they’d handed me an online media target list, tweaked our messaging, and profiled our target audience in some detail. And they weren’t just being nice [Incidentally they were nice but were mainly giving me the info to support their work].

That’s when I realised that for all my lofty ideals about social media and communities, influencers and engagement; I didn’t really know how the internet really worked, yet I was trying to harness it for clients.

At the heart of this point is Search, but also the ways people use the web to collate and share information once they’ve found it, and online purchasing processes where E-Commerce is in place.

Nothing illustrated more to me recently that PRs still don’t get important concepts like Search more than a recent PR week debate around SMNRs [SMRs. Worth they paper they're printed on?]

Some PRs were talking about SMNRs as if they were just a paper press release on the internet. Many looked at it with an old PR mentality without considering how they might be part of a wider online marketing mix. Of the six opinions captured, and a host of comments, only a few showed an understanding of how an optimized and online release might fit with new PR methodology (Adam Zand, Ian McKee, Mark O’Toole, Ann Krauss – you stood out to me).

Yeah, yeah, I’m no expert but I have tried to broaden my knowledge of the web and internet marketing over the years.

What I know now can still only fill the back of  a napkin but here it is:

1. When PR and SEO aligns they maximise each other’s value
2. PR actually creates content (great for Organic vs. Paid Search) which is beneficial online over time -  not just the duration of an Adwords campaign
3. The internet is tracking lots of useful stuff, go find and use that data
4. Social media activity can work with online sales [Just don't use it as the only yard-stick. More to come on measurement]
5. Most social features aren’t just ‘nice to have’ web add-ons but powerful tools which serve important functions
6. Knowing how to do even a basic Boolean Search has to be learnt I’m afraid
7. There’s usually a tool, service, or application that can make your job easier. Example: Nobody has to read 50 blog posts a day, use an RSS reader people! (I’m not joking it still kills me how many PRs don’t know about this) Paid or free,  9 times out of 10 there is a tool you could be using – and where there isn’t, well, you might have identified a potential revenue stream by creating it and reselling to others

Who could fix this?

1. Agencies: Invest in extensive internal education. Don’t stop there, create partnerships with specialist service providers who complement your expertise
2. In-house: Internally, make sure you’re working with your web team. Externally, connect relevant agencies to work together

SOLUTION? Gone are the days of keeping everyone in their boxes. If we’re going to benefit from everything the internet has to offer, we have to use everything the internet has to offer.

Crib notes:

• At a minimum PR and SEO should be working together
• The data’s out there somewhere. Find it and use it
• The web’s  a wonderful place, your PR team’s knowledge should reflect that
• You can’t do it all on your own: use good tools and work with good people

Image: ChrisL_AK