Did the Internet Kill Public Relations?

To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of public relations’ death are greatly exaggerated.

In a recent podcast, IBO co-founder Amy Foley spoke to Aro Marketing’s Chuck Robbins. Robbins assured her that PR may look different than it did even ten years ago, but it’s not just surviving— it’s thriving.

Today, public relations is overtaking more traditional media at an alarming clip; there are a whopping six PR pros for every journalist and 25% of the newsroom workforce has been put out of work. This is thanks in large part to the rise in digital media outlets. There are more outlets than ever, so even large and long-standing news entities have had to make brutal cuts.

How has this impacted today’s PR professionals? Well, it’s been challenging. Rather than developing relationships with some local news outlets, they’re forced to vie for one reporter’s increasingly limited attention.

So how do they do it? What happens when the old method of doing business becomes increasingly obsolete?

As Chuck tells Amy, it’s time to “replace traditional tactics with a new approach.”

Social media has become an invaluable component of the PR professional’s tool belt. Chuck laughed, “[Reporters] pay better attention to their social media than they do their inbox.” Sending an email is not the most effective way to catch the eye of a reporter you want to share your information. You’ve probably done it before-- as you skim through your overloaded inbox, you’re quick to send anything unfamiliar to the trash.

Taking a new and different route to develop a relationship with a media outlet requires you to expand the way you think about communication. And a successful PR professional can do just that— innovate.

Interested in learning more? Check out the podcast! Looking to promote an event or product? We can help! Let’s talk!