Yes, yes it does. Just wanted to answer the question right away before we got any angry emails.
Traditional PR does definitely matter. It’s just changing. Relationship building, pitching stories, all of those PR tactics are still important, but simply posting on a wire service won’t cut it anymore (although doing that, and nothing else, never really worked anyway).
The change is happening in the fact that PR pros are starting to use marketing tactics and marketing folks are starting to steal PR tactics. The lines are blurred, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Today Listen is packed full of advice for marketers looking to learn more about PR and PR pros looking to learn more about marketing.
The fun starts at 05:45…
- (06:56) One of the more recent changes for PR is the convergence with content marketing. More people in PR are expected to deliver marketing outcomes – creating content and measuring it.
- (08:34) One of the missteps that traditional PR people are taking is not focusing on engagement. Yes, placement is vital, but does engagement with that piece is important too.
- (10:27) Should businesses still be using wire services for press releases?
- (12:31) Should you still be doing traditional outreach to journalists? Yes. Absolutely yes. As long as what you’re reaching out about is personal and relevant to what they write about.
- (18:41) Lee’s strategies for building relationships ahead of time so that when he needs to pitch something, it goes well.
- (19:33) When you want to be known as an authority, it helps to connect to people who are already influential in that area. To do that, figure out a way to give them value.
- (20:49) One way is to invite those influencers to collaborate on content, but don’t view it as “one and done.” Ask those influencers for advice a few times.
- (22:17) If you want to be in the media, become the media. Be a publisher and create valuable resources around your industry…hmm…that sounds like content marketing.
