In June, PRSA Austin hosted an informative and engaging conversation with Chis Ferris, Ph.D., senior vice president of digital strategy for Pierpont Communications about the intersection between public relations (PR) and digital marketing. 

Digital marketing involves leveraging digital channels such as social media, search engines, email, and websites to connect with current and potential customers to our brands. It includes a spectrum of tactics like content marketing, SEO, social media marketing and paid advertising. Communication professionals have all had to learn this space and ensure alignment with their public relations planning. This intersection demands a unified brand message. A seamless integration ensures that the story told by PR aligns with the content produced by digital marketing. This consistency fosters brand trust and recognition across diverse channels. Ferris discussed strategies for success and shared insights from his years of experience. 

A recap of those insights are below as well as his powerful presentation which he graciously  provided. This is a definite read! 

To stay up to date on new trends, be sure to use reliable resources such as data from Pew Research and YouGov.com’s Trustworthiness Report. These reports reveal data about where Americans are getting their news. In a current trend report, we see it is Instagram and TikTok but we also note that they trust those channels less and less. No surprise here but X is no longer a trusted or used source as before. 

Important points from Ferris’ presentation: 

• Earned media and PR still matter – maybe more than ever because of AI 
• • As PR pros, we are the ones developing messaging for our leadership
  • Media train your spokespeople
• Track your website’s traffic sources and impact on digital channels
• • Tracking the impact of digital channels - there is a correlation with earned media and the sustained web traffic on a page that you can show value of your media relations efforts
• Measure and report the online reach and impact of your PR successes to your leadership
• Follow and engage with journalists online 
• Be sure to plan and manage for a crisis, as they are inevitable. 
• • Monitor and contain crises online.
  • Plan and prepare for PR crises to spill over into social media 
• Use online tools to listen for emerging trends 
• Amplify your earned media successes through shared and owned channels
• Explore paid options, like contextual ads, sponsored content, OpEds and influencer marketing
• Invest time in learning about generative AI 

Download Dr. Ferris Presentation

As PR pros we need to be aware of the issue of fake news and stories. PR practitioners can play a vital and important role in managing any fake news crisis. If your C-suite or a major announcement is produced by a deep fake, have a crisis plan in place. 

When you do the job right and ethically, as a PR professional you are helping journalists do their job well. Earned media is great for SEO and also used to power openAI.

Tools to Use:

• Google Trends for analytics of your website traffic, 

• PR tech stack such as media monitoring software

• Using UTMs to your outbound links

For all our members and frequent attendees, you may begin to see a trend in our sessions. From the great discussion of SEO and Wikipedia strategy from John Green at The Mather Group, to our amazing panel in May who discussed using data for storytelling. They all weave an important thread across the spectrum of our profession. Don’t miss these opportunities to keep your skills up to date and in the know with trends. Become a member and attend our events!