Have you cooked up a winning partnership between your company’s web marketing strategy and public relations initiative?

Simply put, having a PR and web strategy that is not leveraging the unique strength of the other is just like serving up a great steak and red wine – separately. To make the most of what each offers, these strategies need to be part of the same menu.

Public relations, in and of itself, is an oft-overlooked strategic tool. Leveraging public relations into a marketing campaign allows the important messages – and market differentiators – of your company – to be integrated into the objective, third-party coverage of important trade and business media. Working with journalists to get your company’s story into the hardcopy and virtual web pages of the publications that your target market is reading is a powerful way of reinforcing your marketing message.

So, what kind of results can you expect – and how do you make the most of your company’s newly-formed web marketing/PR alliance?

Here’s an example of what can happen when the partnered use of your PR and web initiatives are on - and off – the menu:

An emerging healthcare technology company distributes a news release announcing its flagship medical device. The release was keyword optimized, and reflective of key word and content on the website. The release, and resulting coverage, was featured prominently on the site, and leveraged into both print and eNewsletter vehicles.

Results: The campaign generates over 25 media placements, and boosts the number of web-based references to the new organization by 600% +. Web site rankings and site traffic are also improved.

By contrast, a technology firm simply sent its release out by mail to a target industry media list. No web presence, no optimization – no leveraging the company’s multiple sales, marketing and web channels.

Result: One reference to the announcement on the web, a couple of “pickups” in targeted trade media. No “bump” in traffic to his web site, limited distribution of the news – and limited awareness of the new offering by prospects and customers.

The partnered approach clearly yields the more appetizing results.

So, make sure that your web/pr strategy earns a full menu of market visibility across all communication channels – the following checklist will help show you how:

PR & WEB STRATEGIES: PARTNERSHIP CHECKLIST

• Optimize your news release: Make sure your organization’s key words and phrases (more on this in the next bullet) are included in your release – and that you are reaching all relevant online and electronic media targets. If using a wire service, make use of their available optimization services to make sure your news release is equally accessible to both print and online media.

• Make best use of key words and phrases: Key words and phrases are the terms that your market audience uses to search for relevant information on the web. These terms are also the same language that will matter with your audience in the offline world. Make sure you understand these key words – what they are, how to use them, and ensure that they are being used strategically in all of your communications. Bonus: Using smart key words in interviews and articles will also help to drive good ranking results when it is translated to the web.

• Integrate PR material onto your website – and vice versa: Create a website News Room and post your company’s press kit, news releases, and the text, with publications links, of company’s media coverage. By the same token, make sure your website URL is included on all news release and other company communications.

• Messaging: Your website, news release should always mirror the key message points that your top management (indeed, the whole organization) is speaking to. Consistency, frequency and accuracy are the name of the game in business, PR and online.

• Paid listing campaign: Running a paid listing campaign on the web? Consider adapting one of your ads’s to mirror your latest news announcement.

• Expanded e-distribution: “Push” your news release announcement out directly to your key customers and prospects (with their permission only, of course). How about industry partners, affiliates, journalists and trade organization members? • Leverage your web coverage: Create re-prints of valuable online media coverage and share with customers, prospects, employees and other target audiences; send email links of coverage to customers and prospects.

• Listen, read and learn from the web: Check online media, read (and participate – carefully) in blogs – perhaps even start a community forum within your company’s organization. Many key influencers in your industry: customers, trend setters, media and trade analysts – are checking relevant blogs to see what the industry is talking about now. Stay informed. Use this info to drive your integrated PR strategy.


For any marketing pro with an appetite for success, integrating your communications strategy across the web, marketing traditional media outlets is a sure recipe for results.

Bon appetit.

Pam Abrahamsson is a vice president/account manager for Stephenson Group, a full-services public relations agency that specializes in integrated communications strategies. www.stephensongroup.com

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