Like many other branding strategies, press releases were first known through the traditional media. However, the shift in technology and the internet took this strategy online. Today, many businesses utilize digital PR services to promote their brand across the regions.

However, some brands still use the traditional method. If you are new to utilizing press releases for business recognition, you must choose which medium to opt for. This article explores key differences between traditional and digital press releases and what's ideal for businesses in the 21st century.

Traditional PR: Is it Still Relevant?

If you sometimes (if not often) listen to the news, read newspapers, or buy magazines, you fall under the target audience for traditional PR. The technique utilizes old methods of media to promote and maintain brand reputation. This involves TV commercials, posters, banners, leaflets, and magazines. The methods may seem outdated, but they are still relevant for some aspects of branding.

For example, if a brand targets older adults or underdeveloped regions, it may be right to get help from traditional media advertisements. However, it won't be enough as some portion of your prospects may still be scrolling the internet.

What Is Digital PR?

Promoting a brand's presence through internet channels comes under digital PR marketing. It utilizes digital media platforms and websites but can also work through social media and ads. It can focus on more than one goal at a time and target a much wider region for promotions. Almost every home uses the internet these days. Imagine how much a brand's reach would expand through digital advertising.

Traditional vs. Digital PR Strategy

Every business aims to welcome growth and success through press releases. Both traditional and digital ways help achieve that but in distinct ways.

Goals

Press releases are generally aimed at achieving more business visibility, either online or offline. Traditional PRs do so by making their name in the media market through journalists and news platforms. However, in the case of digital one, you can target it to achieve so much more.

An optimized digital Press release format can increase website traffic. Content marketing, such as blogs and guest posts, can help educate the general public and make your business the talk of the town. PR submission on designed ad platforms may also bring revenue and sales.

Targeted Reach

Digital PR services can easily reach far-off lands. Any person on the internet, no matter where he resides or his activities, sees online advertisements. Consider a press release example that a business posted from its office. By publishing to different channels and sharing on emails, social media, and Google ads, its message will reach global regions within seconds. The PR SEO impact further expands the visibility of these campaigns.

Traditional PRs' hand delivery or commercial methodology offers limited coverage. They are distributed to specific regions, and their reach is very limited. Moreover, the language barrier further reduces visibility.

Public Engagement

Traditional press releases are like giving an order. They only allow you to say your message, as the readers can't respond. The only two-way communication method is one-on-one meetings, but that targets only a fraction of the audience.

Online PR services provide a healthy, two-way communication street. The public can comment on your updates, ask for queries, or provide feedback in real-time. The PR team can respond to these comments and resolve customers' concerns, establishing a better brand image.

Longevity

Conventional ads are short-lived and time-bound. Unlike these, digital PR campaigns can stay on the internet as long as you want. Once you publish a news release, it will become part of the online information database. Anyone from around the world can access it at any time. In short, digital posters won't fade with time!

Cost & Time Assessment

Publishing a digital press release is only a matter of minutes. It is also cost-effective in comparison. You only have to hire an affordable digital PR company. On the other hand, traditional PRs require physical effort. Most of the methods, like newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, etc, require hand delivery, which takes too much time. Other quick methods, such as television or radio commercials, are either too costly or short-lived.

Success Monitoring

It is absurd to continue running campaigns without measuring their success. Traditional ones assess monthly average viewership or customers earned to determine their progress. For digital ones, you can survey every element in real time. Various metrics measure exact engagement, views, and comments on your PRs, helping to modify the new strategies.

Can Traditional PR and Digital PR Work Together?

Traditional and digital PR services are highly effective for branding. Both types of medium yield unique benefits, although the digital ones clearly outweigh the traditional ones. It is heading to become the future of business marketing.

However, businesses can still benefit from conventional sources wherever required. For instance, a campaign that specifically targets older adults may prove helpful when advertised in newspapers or TV channels. The best course is to unite both techniques and reap maximum advantages.

Traditional vs. Digital Pr Services - What's Right for Brand