Do you remember the time when we all used to listen to radio programs, read newspapers, and get to know about the events of the world through journalists?
Now we just know everything through social media platforms like Twitter or Instagram within seconds.
But have you ever wondered how the news comes to us this fast? And was it always like this?
After the pandemic, we saw a huge shift from offline platforms to online channels. Not only did we realize that it was possible to do what we all were doing offline, but with ten times more effectiveness.
While the change in Digital PR became significant and visible only after the lockdown period, you won’t believe that the evolution of digital PR and digital marketing have been rapid over the last few years.
Before we dive into it more, let’s understand what digital PR actually is.
Digital Public Relations (PR) stands for the strategic use of online platforms and digital channels to enhance the reputation of a brand through the use of social media, content marketing, influencer collaborations, online industry publications, etc., which traditional PR used to do via press conferences, news stations, radio program etc.
In this article, we will talk about how digital PR has changed in the last 8 years, starting from 2016.
2016: The Emergence of Social Media Dominance
Shaadi.com #NotForSale campaign in 2016 not only educated people on the effects of dowry but also created a tsunami of tweets where everyone supported the campaign, mentioning how men were not for sale in the efforts of eradicating dowry.
Not to mention how it benefited Shaadi.com to get more traffic and create awareness of the existing app.
Rise of Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
Tweets from the #NotForSale campaign (shaadi.com)
The shift in rise of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn revolutionized PR strategies, prompting organizations to embrace social media for brand promotions, customer engagement, and reputation management.
Early Shift Towards Influencer Marketing
A lot of people started posting videos across multiple platforms, and the audience started getting influenced by them. With time, they turned into influencers who influenced the choice of a number of people. People wanted to know what kind of clothes and accessories the influencers prefer to wear. This became a marketing procedure for brands, and the brands started connecting to reach out to these influencers to promote their product or service, which gave rise to influencer marketing.
2017: Integration of Content Marketing, SEO, and social media
While online PR wasn’t as famous as traditional PR at the time, it started to get linked with content marketing, SEO, and social media. Content marketing in Digital PR involves creating and distributing valuable, relevant content, such as blogs, videos, infographics, or podcasts, to attract and retain the targeted audience. Digital PR focused on building relationships with online journalists, bloggers, and influencers to gain exposure and coverage. When integrated, content marketing serves as the fuel for digital PR campaigns. It provides compelling stories, data, and insights that PR professionals can pitch to the media or amplify through digital channels. At this period, visual content, including images, videos, and infographics, gained attention by conveying the brand message effectively.
2018: Data-Driven PR Approaches
Organizations realized how content had the power to make you famous overnight. They started using advanced analytics tools to gain insights into audience behaviour, campaign performance, and market trends. Through data analysis, brands started to see what people were seeing more of and started using that to their advantage. It helps brands start to find their target audience. In this period, companies begin to develop content only for their specific audience segments to enhance engagement and conversions for their business. In addition, companies that measured the return on investment(ROI) of customer insights had a higher satisfaction level. Measuring ROI started giving an upper hand to the company by reinforcing the power of their operations and earning them better.
2019: Rise of Digital Storytelling
By this time, people have started understanding the shift in digital PR. Brands have started increasing their digital PR budget, slowly focusing on influencer marketing and social networks. From interactive videos to user-generated content, brands understood the power of storytelling to connect with their audience on a deeper level.
For example: Domino’s campaign— Dil Dosti Dominos made everyone crave pizza slices with friends. The campaign aimed to strengthen the connection with the consumer by creating moments of togetherness with a pull at a cheese slice and fight for the last bite.
2020: Crisis Management in the Digital Age
This was the year when the pandemic happened, and we started seeing cases of COVID-19. The whole world was on lockdown. This was also the year when Instagram launched reels, and if we look back now, we can’t even imagine what it was like without it. Businesses suffered a huge loss because of the pandemic, but it also created a need for online resources to generate money. With the rapid spread of information online, it was really difficult to communicate in real-time. Therefore, Social listening tools became essential for tracking online conversations, enabling brands to address issues promptly and mitigate reputational risks. This also became important to make fair marketing decisions.
2021: Collaboration with Digital Influencers
By the time we entered 2021, a lot of people had started making reels as they had a lot of free time during the pandemic. While a lot of companies were affected due to the lockdown, most of the brands started utilizing digital PR to their benefit.
Micro Influencers are the ones with a small or more niche-oriented following, while the macro influencers are the ones with a large following. For small businesses, micro-influencers are more cost-effective and can also reach their target audience. While the macro influencers may be expensive, they have the potential to reach a vast audience with a single post
(Google collaborating with a macro fashion influencer Komal Pandey)
2022: The Role of AI and Automation
Do you remember how your life was before ChatGPT? How did you used to generate emails yourself? Now, you do that and a lot of other things within seconds.
Email generated in less than 10 seconds via ChatGPT
While the field of artificial intelligence(AI) is constantly growing, this was the year the majority of people realized how they could streamline processes and enhance their efficiency through automation and AI-powered PR tools. Most fashion retailers use AI to predict the products that consumers are most likely to buy. Similarly, through previous data, they predict the shape and sizes of the product using AI predictive retailing models.
H & M stays on top of the local trends to be successful
2023: More Innovation and Adaptation
Digital PR continued to evolve with the emergence of new technologies and changing consumer behaviors. Brands adapted their strategies to leverage innovative tools and platforms, staying ahead of evolving trends and consumer preferences.
Coca-Cola’s “Create Real Magic” PR campaign was a fun way to engage and connect with fans. Like ChatGPT, AI art generator Dall-E was used to encourage customers to create their own AI artwork for the brand.
source: design rush
2024: Use of Digital PR Amplified
Now in 2024, we are not only doing what we used to do but with new technologies, refining storytelling techniques, and advanced AI tools. We have seen a rise in virtual events and webinars. Social media and influencer marketing continue to amplify brand presence. The content we see is more personalized and customized for the target audience. The use of AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google Bard has changed the digital PR world and will continue to do so.
We live in a digital landscape now. It is safe to say that digital PR and digital marketing are going to see changes that are beyond our imagination. We are not ready for what digital PR is going to bring to us.
FAQs
1. How has digital PR evolved over the past eight years?
-Over the last eight years, digital PR transformation has shifted from traditional media outreach to a focus on social media engagement, influencer partnerships, and data-driven strategies. This evolution has been driven by technological advancements and changing consumer behaviors.
2. What role do social media platforms play in modern digital PR?
-Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are primarily used in digital PR strategies, enabling brands to engage directly with audiences, manage reputations, and disseminate content in real-time.
3. How has influencer marketing impacted digital PR?
-Influencer marketing has become a key component of digital PR, allowing brands to leverage trusted voices to reach targeted audiences and enhance credibility.
4. What is the significance of data analytics in digital PR?
-Data analytics enables PR professionals to measure campaign effectiveness, understand audience sentiment, and refine strategies for better outcomes.
