Online communications, touted by many pundits as a PR panacea, offers everything from the ability to monitor a stakeholder's Web visit to quicker, nimbler, more targeted media
relations. But has high-tech public relations become a reality for most PR pros? Not by a long shot, according to a recent survey conducted by PR NEWS.
A sampling of PR NEWS readers indicates that many companies and agencies (89%) are not yet taking full advantage of available online tools to maximize PR efforts. Nearly half
of our respondents say they currently spend less than 25% of their time and resources doing online PR yet the majority indicate an expectation that within five years, they will
spend between 50% and 100% of their time doing PR online.
In addition, most survey respondents ignore more sophisticated online PR techniques. While the majority use tools like email (89%) and company Web pages (95%), the numbers
plummet when it comes to virtual meetings and conferences (22%), crisis dark sites (5%) and online syndicates (14%).
Perhaps more ironic than the statistics themselves, however, is the rationale behind them. "No time" was the overwhelming answer. "It's forthcoming, but slow to develop," says
a respondent. A lack of general knowledge about how to employ many technologies in a strategically beneficial way seemed to scream through the surveys.
Commenting on the overall survey results, Weber Shandwick Interactive EVP Mike Spataro says, "The days of referring to online PR as an extension of what we do for a living are
definitely numbered. It's obvious that the Internet is becoming more and more a mainstream part of any good, core PR strategy and program. As companies and agencies learn more
about the impact of Internet PR in reaching audiences," he notes, "they [will] continue to spend more time and money on this part of their businesses."
Kay Bransford, Vocus's VP, Marketing, agrees that the issue is not so much the challenge of online PR but of educating an executive team about who their target audience is and
how you're going to reach them. She sees clients who have identified the need for online media centers but who still neglect reaching out to online outlets. "Targeted audiences
aren't always Wall Street Journal readers," she says, knowing that CEOs often regard this placement most highly. "Go back and figure out your target audience; then online PR
becomes much clearer."
(Contact: Mike Spataro, Weber Shandwick Interactive, 617/351-4147, [email protected]; Kay Bransford, 301/458-2590, [email protected])
Sources of Online PR Help
Need some ideas, advice about online PR? The following resources provide information:
- http://www.ipr.com (press release search engine used by the media to research stories)
- http://www.instituteforpr.com/ research/wriNEW_Pg1.htm (extensive research from the Institute for PR on public relations online)
- http://www.online-pr.com (a rich Web site, from a Robert Marston and Associates senior director, offers links to online resources, media
relations how-to info and other valuable data for inexpensive, effective online PR)