The Changing Face of PR

Discover how the core principles of PR are staying the same, as media and methods of delivery change.

PR has changed a lot as the internet’s grown up. But in some ways, it’s come full circle. Let’s take a look at online PR services down the decades.

1978: EMAIL’S FIRST FOUL

The first PR email is sent to the USA’s West Coast, “in flagrant violation of ARPANET’s rules.”

The first marketing email goes to every Internet user. Yes, all 400.

TODAY: Modern PR seeks a smaller, but more focused audience. Leading to higher interest and greater engagement.

1984: UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

Personalisation hits the desktop. A PR professional can mail ten thousand people with individual data. Using almost as many fonts.

Journalists see 80 press releases each day. They use 2.

TODAY: Newswire services detail a journalist or blogger’s beats and biases in depth, letting PR professionals identify precisely the right people to hear your story.

1999: CITIZEN FAME

Peter Merholz coins the verb “to blog”. Citizen journalists like Matt Drudge gain audiences in the millions as print media downsize.

1999 sees 23 blogs. Ten years later, 28 million.

TODAY: Online PR services treat top bloggers as influential players, applying metrics of reach and sentiment to bedroom hobbyists and Manhattan columnists alike.

2004: THE RISE OF SHARING

Social media changes the equation. Success is less about you talking to your audience, more about getting them talking to each other.

21% of journalists never use a newswire service.

TODAY: PR turns your message into a managed conversation between friends and colleagues. Retweets, Shares and Likes matter a lot.

2014: SEARCHING STORIES

Google’s Hummingbird algorithm takes search back to its roots, focusing on compelling content rather than metadata and keyphrases. PR agencies, take note.

Link-farming, content-spinning and keyword-stuffing are now no-go areas.

TODAY: Online PR services design content to be found as much as distributed. Releases are written for SEO visibility as well as information content.