How Facebook shrinks the necessity of traditional PR
With a seemingly endless array of media outlets sharing content and Facebook Advertising’s targeted marketing, PR pros must adapt to a new landscape of online storytelling.
Some still don’t fully understand this new form of marketing, in particular Facebook as a social media and advertising platform, from the client’s perspective. Without understanding that, they’ll never understand what they’re up against, so let me share my perspective as a fairly steady PR client since 2004. I’ve co-founded two consumer products companies. During the past year we’ve been using PR for my current company, Thread Experiment, which sells home bedding designed for men. I’ve noticed a significant change in the impact of PR since 12 years ago when I founded my first company.
In its most basic function, PR gets brands placed in various media sources. Whether it be magazine, TV or blog, a mention of your brand, a product photo, or a full write-up on your business often creates fantastic exposure to readers/viewers of that medium. Implied in that placement is a form of unbiased endorsement of the brand. As a result, readers or viewers are likelier to shop and/or purchase the brand’s products. That’s the goal of PR, anyway.
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