“PR is dead.”
Every few years, someone says it. And every so often PRs and journalists debate it and declare it isn’t so. The truth is somewhere in between. PR and media generation are evolving, not disappearing.
A modern public relations strategy still includes traditional techniques that have worked for decades. Press releases, media relations and thought leadership continue to deliver awareness. But audiences have changed. And so have their expectations.
Whether you’re selling to consumers or trying to attract business clients, directly engaging with your customer is an important consideration and shouldn’t be pushed to the bottom of the brand strategy objectives.
Why? Because the customer journey is changing rapidly and that means engaging directly with your target audience has become one of the most valuable tools in public relations, not just for building brand awareness, but for creating credibility, providing clarity and gathering consumer insights.
How has a customer’s digital journey changed?
Once upon a time, people would read a headline or pick up a paper and rarely question whether the information was the complete picture.
The dawn of the digital age not only made it easier for people to be driven towards a poorly researched content; it also made many of us much more wary when it comes to what is being said and where that information is coming from. There is value in being valid.
It’s no longer a question of:
“Where is my website ranking?”, but “Is my brand visible in other online spaces?”.
or
“Which review sites do I need to check?”, but “Is this legitimate feedback from real customers?”
And
“Which media outlets are most coveted by my target audience?” but “How do I know my target audience is actually seeing this?”
Traditional PR still matters
Let’s start with the obvious question. Does traditional PR still work? Absolutely.
If you want to build up your brand awareness, then getting your name out there is vital, and for many organisations, strong media coverage, online or otherwise, remains particularly influential for supporting awareness and SEO activity.
Decision-makers still regularly consume recognised trade publications, sector newsletters, and regional and national titles. A story published by a trusted publication can still build credibility, increase awareness and reach audiences that are difficult to access through other channels, particularly when those audiences aren’t always online.
This means press releases and media distribution are far from obsolete.
If you’ve got genuine news to share, whether that’s new research, company growth, a major contract win, a charity partnership or expert insight into an emerging issue, media coverage can still be extremely valuable. However, the difference now is that media coverage is often just a small part of the conversation, not the whole of it.
As the way audiences consume news changes, so does media. It’s no longer the standalone trusted source of information. This presents a challenge for brands, but also an opportunity.
Audiences want to be engaged with, not talked at
For years, communications was largely a one-way conversation. Brands and businesses spoke and audiences listened. Now audiences expect much more. People ask questions, challenge opinions, conduct their own research and are more ready, willing and able to compare experiences and seek recommendations from others.
Before making their decision, a potential customer may read an article, check social media, search online forums, sign up to a newsletter and compare multiple viewpoints from a variety of sources and organisations. Customers are looking for evidence, expertise and authenticity. Not just a catchy headline or soundbite.
That’s why a successful digital PR campaign is more than simply broadcasting well-placed messages across different channels catering for the relevant demographic. Now it’s considering and creating opportunities for direct customer engagement.
The businesses which stand out are doing what no media mogul can simply manufacture. And that’s speaking directly with customers, understanding what does and doesn’t work and responding with honest and genuine information and support.
Why Reddit and online communities are becoming part of the PR toolkit
When people think about Reddit, they often picture memes, passionate debates and online communities discussing everything from business software to slime. They’re not wrong. But Reddit has also become a valuable source of insight for B2C and B2B organisations.
People regularly use online communities to seek recommendations, troubleshoot challenges and discuss industry trends. And with this community content comes the added advantage that AI search will pull it through, so it appears high up on a search engine’s first page.
Whether it’s marketing, manufacturing, the leisure industry, finance or the latest vehicle technology, people are turning more towards peer-to-peer conversations to gather information and gain the insights that no media outlet can measure up to.
That’s where the true value of a Reddit PR strategy can really work for community engagement.
Care and consideration, not commercial overload
Reddit isn’t for piling your products into the posts of everyone on board. Instead, it should be regarded as an extremely valuable place to listen, learn and contribute. Businesses can gain useful insights into customer concerns, develop an understanding of industry challenges and pick up on emerging issues way before they appear in surveys or headline reports.
Organisations can showcase expertise through personal profile representation and participating in relevant discussions and offering genuinely useful advice – human to human rather than marketeer to mass audience.
However, the emphasis is on being genuine. Reddit users are remarkably good at identifying promotional content disguised as conversation and, as soon as that has been flagged, don’t expect to be a much-regarded community member anytime soon.
Businesses which succeed on the platform focus on adding value first and building trust over time. This is the long game of positive public relations. But a commitment really worth making when done well.
But where to start? We help businesses by working with them to build, refine and identify relevant communities, understand and uncover active audience conversations and engage in ways that feel real rather than transactional.
The rise of Substack and owned media
If Reddit is about joining communities, Substack is about building your own. For businesses, the platform offers a powerful way to publicise the personal profiles of its thought leaders through content creation. Whether that’s expert articles, opinion pieces or short-form notes and reactions to industry news.
Instead of hoping your social media posts appear in someone’s feed, you’re airing insights from your brand spokesperson directly to subscribers who have actively chosen to hear from them. For B2B businesses in particular, that’s incredibly valuable.
A well-written Substack can help you to:
- Share industry expertise without shoving products down people’s throats
- Comment on market developments with meaningful and carefully managed messages
- Build trust with decision-makers to gain respect in direct and engaging ways
- Develop a loyal subscriber community with credible commentary and carefully curated content
- Establish thought leadership in your sector with sincerity, integrity and intelligent insight
In short, it allows you to own the relationship with your audience rather than relying entirely on third-party platforms which edit or adjust the way you want to engage with end users.
Honesty always wins
Technology changes and platforms come and go. Meanwhile, audience behaviour continues to evolve. But one principle remains remarkably consistent, even in a world of AI overview and digital dialogue. And that is humans need humanity, whether that’s in person or provided in an online community.
Ultimately, good PR isn’t really about a fancy piece of media coverage or going viral for vanity metrics.
True public relations can be found in the care, consideration and transparency a business can bring to the people who are willing to invest in it by buying its products or using its services.
Without valuable customers willing to part with their well-earned income in return for your wares, there is no business. And even if there is, there’s definitely no long-term legacy being consigned to the history books of good business practice. And that’s where many brands go wrong.
What is great public relations anyway?
Great public relations is listening and actively responding.
Great public relations is being accountable and putting things right.
Great public relations is being honest, not hyperbolic.
Great public relations is putting your customer first rather than treating them like a commodity.
If you’re looking for great public relations, look for great communicators who value the principles of respect and transparency. With the right people working on your PR, you won’t always win the customer, but you will never lose one long-term.
Which brings us neatly back to community engagement and brand integrity – it’s more than just a marketing thing! It’s a commitment.
Five questions to ask about your PR strategy
If you’re reviewing your communications activity, ask yourself:
- Are we creating conversations?
- Are we sharing knowledge that audiences genuinely find useful?
- Does our PR strategy help build long-term credibility?
- Are we engaging in relevant online communities?
- Are we developing owned channels that increase audience relationships?
- Are we talking to our customers in the right way?
- And, are we actually listening to them?
If not, there may be opportunities to strengthen your approach.
PR isn’t changing, it’s expanding
The best public relations strategy today doesn’t completely replace traditional PR. It uses it to form a foundation for awareness and support a more active approach to listening and engaging with customers and target audiences.
If you’re looking to find out more about how a modern PR and direct audience engagement marketing strategy can work for you, then let’s chat.
