Considering that 97 percent of consumers use online media to shop, it’s obvious that any PR campaign today has to understand and use the Internet effectively.
But does that mean the end of traditional forms of PR? Well, no it doesn’t.
Instead of competing, online and traditional PR should be melded
together to create a comprehensive campaign that lends the maximum
amount of exposure.
Simple.
So why should you do this? Why not just stick to online PR? Well
offline PR still has some great uses, and using both in tandem can
really make an impact.
Integration
Even though the vast majority of us are online, offline avenues such
as television, radio and newspaper still reach a substantial portion of
people. By backing up the offline aspects that entice with a strong
online campaign, you are showing consistency and strength; two factors
which are very appealing.
An example could be the QR (Quick Response) code. It’s the perfect tool for combining the two methods.
A QR code can be issued with an offline PR. This PR interests the
reader and the QR code gives them instant and easy access to the rest of
the online campaign.
It’s something that takes little effort yet can be highly effective,
considering that almost half of all Smartphone users will use their
phones during an excursion such as shopping.
Timing is Everything
One of the prime functions of news is to inform the public as quickly
as possible. With online PR, this can now be done. Newsworthy pieces of
information can be instantly published, which sates the needs of the
now.
However, the downside of this is that people have so much news, you
can often find yours buried instantly under much more recent postings.
Combining online and offline means the instant PR is freely available
for browsers, while the offline PR can slowly boil and be left
simmering, waiting for readers to find it.
Of course, this isn’t always the case, but it’s better to have something and not need it than need something and not have it.
Balance
Of course, it’s a little pointless to have the same information
repeated over and over again. It serves little purpose. This is where
the balance of both online and offline comes into play.
Varying the amount of PR you use can create a well-rounded campaign that does not suffer from overexposure or underexposure.
For example, a printed PR release might be very short and concise.
Now take into account that a web page can offer a more detailed report
of the news. A little more detailed than the printed release but it also
provides links to a variety of audio and visual resources that provide
substantial background. This way, you are ensuring the information is
well covered throughout the range of media without becoming too
overpowering.
Through a judicious use of both forms of media, your PR campaign can be taken from something simple, to simply amazing.
Article by Craig Barnes.
Post from: SiteProNews
Why Combining Online and Offline Makes a Good PR Campaign Great