We're all geeks now.
As the Internet becomes a growing part of the communications
process PR execs must learn new ways to exploit the medium, now a
major presence in both the American home and workplace. (See
chart.) As part of our special issue focusing on trends in
Interactive communications we asked several PR execs (both
corporate and agency) to share their insights on how the Web is
working for them.
Of course, the Web provides the speed that companies need to
respond to all of their various stakeholders, who, in many cases,
have the same access to corporate information as you do. As Erin
Byrne, managing director, Interactive at Burson-Marsteller, makes
clear, the Web is viewed as a way to combat a crisis and
(potentially) nip it in the bud. When there isn't a fire to put
out, the Web can also be used to smooth media relations. By simply
reading a reporter's archives online PR execs can find out what
gets that particular reporter juiced and pitch accordingly. Perhaps
more important, having a robust Web site gives companies the
opportunity to slice and dice their information (e-mail
newsletters, links, hyperlinks and PDF files) in ways that can make
life a little easier for those journalists et al. who cover the
company or the space you're in.
Most of this stuff was unheard of even five years ago, so it's
intriguing to think of what role the Web will play in PR in the
next five years. Here are some solid suggestions on how to stay
ahead of the curve.
Erin Byrne - Managing Director, Interactive
Burson-Marsteller
212.614.4824, [email protected]
Leveraging the Internet for successful PR programs goes well
beyond posting a few press releases. Your company is continually
challenged to reach varied audience groups and establish the tone
as well as the content of your communications with them. Your Web
site is one of the few places that give you complete control. It
even lets you go beyond words and pictures, to create compelling
interactive experiences - worksheets, animations, games and virtual
tours that leave a lasting impact.
When Burson Marsteller developed the Web site for the U.S.
Treasury Department's launch of the new design for the $20 note
(http://www.moneyfactory.com/newmoney),
we provided media resources that went well beyond the basics. We
included an interactive note that could be downloaded and used for
broadcast as well as numerous downloadable files for print.
A critical opportunity to leverage the Web comes when your
company faces an issue or crisis situation. You can implement a
custom Web site to answer questions from varied audiences including
employees, reporters, customers, vendors, investors/analysts and
elected officials. By having a dedicated site for these issues, you
can reach the people who care and avoid the risk of generating more
awareness by highlighting the issues on your corporate home
page.
Bottom line: Include online components in your public relations
program to reach people you couldn't reach otherwise, make your
story more compelling and give your audiences opportunities to
interact with the company instead of merely reading about it.
Elizabeth Goldsmith
PR Strategy & Implementation- GoldsmithPR
781.259.8584, [email protected]
E-newsletters are part of all my clients' programs. The
flexibility of the medium makes it equally appropriate for a wide
number of uses - pre-show announcements, product updates, to
replace traditional printed newsletters, or to conduct surveys.
Some of our newsletters go to lists of several thousand people;
others are distributed to just 15-20 individuals. In all cases the
newsletters help drive traffic to each client's Web site and to
reinforce messages and initiatives that are part of an overall
plan.
One appeal of using e-newsletters is the ability to measure
results. In an environment where you constantly need to justify
your marketing expenditures, this medium allows you to analyze the
effectiveness and appeal of your message almost instantly by
tracking your open rates and click-throughs. I sent out an
announcement for a Web conference to about 750 people. On the
initial mailing I saw a 51% open rate, 15% of recipients forwarded
the information to a friend or colleague, and 8% signed up for the
event. By looking at who had responded, I was able to identify what
types of companies and what level of management this event was
attracting, plus I could fine-tune the list and message for
subsequent e- mailings.
Using e-newsletters also provides the opportunity to develop a
dialogue with your audiences. By adding a short survey to a
newsletter you can ask your readers questions pertinent to your
product development or sales cycle such as which product attributes
are most important to them, how frequently they buy a product or
what challenges they see in their business environments. Mining
this information can increase the effectiveness of your sales force
and provide direction for further marketing outreach.
Richard Laermer
Founder-CEO RLM Public Relations (Contributing Editor to PR
NEWS)
310.207.9200 X16, [email protected]
We love that Web. Good PR people aren't intimidated by the lack
of rules there. Instead, they turn our Webbed world into an
advantage. One way RLM Public Relations does it is to look at 'Net
wonks as personas as well as journalists, meaning they're willing
to write about themselves as much as the so-called news. By
flipping through archived articles, you get a clear sense of what
reporters like or dislike. Some (most) have their own Web sites,
too, which should give you some further biographical background. We
call that "loving a reporter's personality."
Once you know what's in their yea! columns pitch a product or
service as people, not journalists (flattery doesn't hurt). As you
would for a traditional print journalist, hook them by sending some
kind of sample. You'll not only get a glowing review of not just
the product, service, or whatever it is you're hawking, you'll get
one that explains how they used it: how it made commutes easier,
how it got floors shinier, how it saved them from a seriously
boring party.
And it goes without saying that your review will be published
light years faster than in print. See, thanks to some simple
circuitry even I understand, a journalist armed with a laptop and a
cord for a high-speed LAN can attend a conference, write on the
fly, e-mail to an editrix, have it posted online, then go drink.
Printing presses cannot compete. Recall that print newspapers
depend on timely updates to their sites in order to narrow the
speed gap between themselves and those fabulous online
publications.
Julian Teixeira
Assistant Director, PR
United States Pharmacopeia
301.816.8325, [email protected]
In the past three years, we at the United States Pharmacopeia
have made tremendous strides toward delivering our communications
materials through electronic formats, such as the Web and
e-mail.
Apart from the organization's Web site, USP's PR department
operates a separate Internet site for journalists. Our electronic
"News Center" not only serves as USP's news release Web page and
archive, but contains a variety of information that is or can be
important for journalists writing about USP. Housed on our site's
front page is the most up- to-date news from USP; within the site
is a wealth of readily accessible information about the
organization and its programs.
We made a conscious decision to create our news center in this
format, due to our strategy of focusing on media relations. The
majority of our materials, such as backgrounders, information
sheets, organizational profiles, are provided in a one-page format.
They are clearly labeled and readily available in a downloadable
PDF file.
Since these materials are stored on our Web site, we also can
link them to our news releases. We use an electronic format to send
out our news releases. Within the news release e-mail, due to our
news center, we created side buttons that link the news release to
information located on our Web site. Our strategy again is to
provide the reporter with all the necessary information they
need--available through one click of the mouse.
How has this strategy worked for us? Very well; reporters have
responded positively to our electronic e-mails and usage of our
news center has increased.
Hit the links: Where
Americans Use the Internet |
|
Home only |
36%
|
Work only |
7%
|
Another place only |
3%
|
Home and work |
34%
|
Home and another place other than work |
10%
|
Work and another place other than home |
2%
|
Home and work and another place |
8%
|
Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project surveys/March 2004 |