If you aren’t integrating Public Relations strategy into your marketing plan, you may be missing key opportunities to broaden your client base and form essential connections with your community. Here at KWSM, we offer PR services that include everything from multimedia press releases to influencer outreach. I recently had the opportunity to take an in-depth look at PR through KWSM’s Mentorship Program. Through this 12-week program, I learned that the role of PR in your digital marketing strategy is to build community and establish relationships in your industry. 
KWSM Mentorship Program
At KWSM, we strive to continually learn and enhance our skills as digital marketers. While we all have different zones of genius, we have the opportunity every year to team up and spend a few months studying a different aspect of digital marketing. We are paired together in a Mentor-Mentee team and work on a project and presentation together. I teamed up with Brianna Zambrano, a Senior Digital Marketing Strategist who specializes in PR.
In our time together, Brianna and I explored many elements of PR including:
- Press releases
- Press digests
- Sourcing media
- Pitching media
- The value of public relations
With Brianna’s guidance, I gained experience writing a press release, a press digest, and sourcing media for several of our clients. To learn more about Brianna’s experience as my mentor, check out her blog!
The Role of PR in Your Digital Marketing Strategy
As I learned more about PR from Brianna, I also took three LinkedIn courses to better help me understand the essential role of PR in digital marketing. I took Essential New Skills in Media and Communication, 17 PR Mistakes to Avoid, and Public Relations Foundations. Through these courses, I discovered three main aspects of an effect PR strategy:
History
It’s important to do your research and understand your values, previous strategies, and budget. When you know where your company is going and where it has been, it’s easier to formulate an effective strategy for telling your story.
Objective
Make sure you understand what you want to accomplish with the information that you are sharing. Whether it’s to promote a new product, announce a change in leadership, or open a discussion about industry news, having a clear goal in mind will make sourcing media contacts easier.
Audience
Identifying the target audience for your story is crucial. Because most PR is intended to expand beyond the usual audience for a business, identifying new audiences is an important part of your strategy.
Utilizing a PR Strategy During the Mentorship Program
As we moved through the program, I was able to take the knowledge that I had gained and apply it in real-world deliverables for our clients.
Press Release
I wrote a press release for a client releasing new products in September. I worked closely with the Digital Marketing Strategist on that client’s team and to gather quotes and information from the client, and prepare for the launch.
Press Digest
Press digests are a more personal way to reach out to journalists and get them connected with a company’s CEO or business. We worked to create a press digest for a client who wanted to open the discussion about industry news. We were able to link the client to media contacts and publications who were interested in continuing the conversation and spreading awareness.
Media Sourcing
I did research and created lists of potential media contacts for several clients. By studying their intended audience and searching for writers who thrive in those circles, we were able to expand the audience reach for these clients.
Do You Need a PR Strategy?
If you think a PR strategy would help your business grow, now is the time to reach out to KWSM. This Mentorship Program taught me that PR is one of the most effective ways to cultivate relationships with the communities that you are trying to impact with your products and services. I also learned that, here at KWSM, we have digital marketers who are continually building their PR skills to better serve our clients.
Click Here to request a 30 minute strategy call to see if PR is the right tactic for your business.
