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This week, Becca Tee, the Digital PR Lead at Repeat Digital, shared her insights into why Digital PRs should integrate traditional PR tactics into their strategies and her advice on how to do this.
When I first started in PR (eight years ago), digital PR and ethical link building was this relatively new and shiny thing. It made sense, especially for agencies primarily in the digital marketing space to create a dedicated department which would be a part of, or closely aligned to, SEO. This led to the industry realising there are even wider benefits to PR and more tangible metrics to report on (i.e. link quantity) and it wasn’t long before more and more traditional agencies were following suit and offering similar services.
However, in 2024, I feel we’re going full circle. Clients and agencies are still striving to achieve high volumes of links (often with KPIs on this) at a time when journalists and web editors are becoming more savvy to SEO practices and will charge for coverage. In addition, the pool of journalists is becoming slimmer, and publications are ceasing left, right and centre.
Take a look on social media, and you’ll see the same debate rearing its head over and over. Digital PR legend Stephen Kenwright said in a recent LinkedIn post: ‘Link number KPIs are destroying the digital PR industry (and it’s not even happening slowly)’.
Tom Chivers - another digital PR legend you should all follow - also did some research on the median number of links for digital PR campaigns over the year. As you may be able to guess, there’s been a pretty steady downward trend.
Link KPIs, coupled with the knowledge and existence of paid-for link building, have increased client expectations - but the landscape is no longer the same. So, in order to thrive, digital PRs now need to learn from traditional PR, the original practice of gaining brand awareness and maintaining brand reputation, which has stood the test of time. Having worked on both sides of the fence now, I’ve had clients so hung up on links and clients that couldn’t care less about them.
Links are still beneficial, of course, but they need to be relevant. They’re not the be-all and end-all. I’m not saying we should go back to reporting on AVE, but we can look at wider avenues - and wider metrics - that our clients desire, for example, speaking opportunities and podcasts. These avenues will also raise brand awareness but in a different way. It all still counts and works towards the ultimate goal of enhancing brand visibility and credibility - online and offline.
What are the top ways you can integrate traditional methods into your Digital PR strategies?
Diversify Metrics Beyond Links
In today’s digital landscape, it’s essential for PR professionals to look beyond just counting links and focus on a broader range of valuable metrics. You should encourage your clients to do the same. You could include brand mentions, social media engagement, and media impressions in your reports. This not only meets clients' evolving expectations but also provides a more comprehensive view of brand visibility.
Emphasise Quality Over Quantity in Link Building
With the growing awareness of SEO practices among journalists and the shrinking pool of media outlets, digital PR pros must prioritise the quality of links over sheer quantity. Rather than chasing a high volume of links, aim to secure relevant, high-authority backlinks that truly improve your client’s SEO and brand credibility. Tailor your outreach to target specific publications and journalists who align with your client’s industry and audience. And don't discount sites with low DA/DRs - one super relevant piece of coverage from a DR: 30 publication is more valuable than one that has double the authority score but isn't quite a good fit for the client.
Consider Other Ways To Increase Brand Visibility
Print publications still exist because they have audiences. Despite dwindling numbers of readers, it's about getting in front of the right people at the right time, and that can be done online or offline. With coverage getting ever harder to gain, you may also wish to consider other avenues that facilitate increased brand awareness. That could include lining up speaking opportunities on podcasts (a growing industry) or events such as expos, conferences, round table discussions, or panels.
You can follow Becca Tee for more insights like this on her LinkedIn.
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