Discover how the core principles of PR are staying the same, as media and methods of delivery change.
PR has changed a lot as the internet’s grown up. But in some ways, it’s come full circle. Let’s take a look at online PR services down the decades.
1978: EMAIL’S FIRST FOUL
The first PR email
is sent to the USA’s West Coast, “in flagrant violation of ARPANET’s rules.”
The first marketing email goes to every Internet user. Yes, all 400.
TODAY:
Modern PR seeks a smaller, but more
focused
audience. Leading to higher interest and greater engagement.
1984: UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
Personalisation
hits the desktop. A PR professional can mail ten thousand people with individual data. Using almost as many fonts.
Journalists see 80 press releases each day. They use 2.
TODAY:
Newswire services detail a journalist or blogger’s beats and biases
in depth
, letting PR professionals identify precisely the right people to hear your story.
1999: CITIZEN FAME
Peter Merholz coins the verb “to blog”. Citizen journalists like Matt Drudge gain audiences in the millions as print media downsize.
1999 sees 23 blogs. Ten years later, 28 million
.
TODAY:
Online PR services treat top bloggers as influential players, applying metrics of reach and sentiment to bedroom hobbyists and Manhattan columnists alike.
2004: THE RISE OF SHARING
Social media changes the equation. Success is less about you talking to your audience, more about getting them talking to
each other
.
21% of journalists never use a newswire service
.
TODAY:
PR turns your message into a
managed conversation
between friends and colleagues. Retweets, Shares and Likes matter a
lot
.
2014: SEARCHING STORIES
Google’s Hummingbird algorithm takes search back to its roots, focusing on
compelling content
rather than metadata and keyphrases. PR agencies, take note.
Link-farming, content-spinning and keyword-stuffing are now no-go areas.
TODAY:
Online PR services design content to be
found
as much as
distributed
. Releases are written for SEO visibility as well as information content.