Smart Agency: Marketing & PR Leeds, Yorkshire, UK

What is E-PR?

One of the (many) good things about working in public relations is that it is an ever-changing industry operating in a dynamic media landscape.

However, like many other sectors undergoing change, fundamental principles and skills still underpin the ability to do the job. This has never been truer when it comes to discussing online public relations.

In the last century reporters must have marvelled at the arrival of the new fangled telegraphic communications allowing them to deliver news reports across the world in a fraction of the time taken before.

Fast forward 25 years and fax, post and before that, telex along with the quaint idea of talking to each other were the only distribution channels available to professional communicators. Now email and the web have come to the fore, Google is the font of all information and we are (apparently) all connected by social network sites like myspace and facebook.

The PR industry has moved with the times, embraced new techniques and refocused on advancing the cause of its clients and employers online — often choosing this channel over traditional media.

For the media, faster news delivery hasn’t made the job any easier. Instead of wading through hundreds of hard copy press releases, they are now screening thousands of unsolicited emails arriving weekly to their in-box.
And what does it mean for hard-pressed clients eager to get their message across to their audiences? Here’s a snapshot guide to the online PR and what to consider.

Blogs

A blog is a kind of online diary, providing a platform for an individual to put across their personal viewpoint on a subject or issue. If negative, companies and their representations have the option to respond, but they need to maintain integrity and reputation by being as transparent as possible.
Monitoring a multitude of blogs is not always possible, so pin-pointing a top 10 based on how influential they are and monitoring their content is one option.

Blogs from company personnel are a good of showing that a business is open-minded and allows its employees to offer their personal slant on an issue. Of course, Big Brother needs to keep his nose out and leave the editing to the author.  Twitters are short blogs, with space to load web links and brief information.

RSS

Keeping up-to-date with the information you need from the web can be time-consuming and tedious. RSS overcomes this - delivering the latest news and features directly, so that you don’t have to click from site to site. There is some discussion as to what RSS stands for, but most agree on Really Simple Syndication.

In simple terms, it allows you to identify the content you like and have it delivered directly to your personalised web page or feed reader. Not all websites currently provide RSS, but it is growing rapidly in popularity.

Review sites

Tripadvisor, Toptable and other sites that provide an outlet for people to review the services they have received are becoming increasingly influential. Human nature is such that only the disappointed and let-down feel the need to spread bad news. For companies there is the option to engage with the person and try to resolve the problem. This shows they are listening and willing to learn from customers’ experiences. Legal advice might be needed if you can prove that a site is making libellous claims.

Social network sites

Anyone with a Facebook page will know that the site is somewhat addictive and great fun. For some companies, its fans use it as an outlet to form a group to tell the world how much they love the brand, for others it’s a way to unite people who have had a bad experience. Again, any intervention has to be open, honest and transparent.

Online press offices

A basic requirement of any of any company website is to have a good media centre. Journalists, customers, employees, prospective employees and just the vaguely interested should have access to the latest press releases, images, company information and media contact details. Ideally, the press team will be in control of this section, with its own administration system to add news whenever needed. In a crisis the media section can help provide reporters with up to the minute statements and background.

"We hate …" websites

If a disgruntled employee or customer sets up a website criticising your company or brand, there's every chance it will be vying for Google rankings on page one along with your expensively built website. It's best to refute their claims head-on and ask for a right to reply. Embracing the criticism, countering the inaccurate claims shows you are on the ball and a listening company.