Online Publicity
In this day and age, the internet is an essential tool for businesses. The internet is an excellent tool for publicity as it is so widely used today. These days, consumers will often first check out a business's website for information before even picking up the phone to call them directly. A website is also useful because it allows people to contact the business. For this reason, it is important for the success of a business to have a website.
History
The history of online publicity began with global PR firm Edelman Public Relations, which was the first public relations firm to go online with a website in 1995. Now, virtually every business has a website.
Business Websites
Publicizing services, events, or companies through the internet is not difficult. The following are ways businesses use publicity via the internet:
- Get a website. One of the first things a business should do is obtain a website. All reputable companies have websites as they know consumers and the general public spend an average of 2 hours online each day. Also, if an event is being publicized, it's a good idea to get a website in order to make registration or obtaining information easier. There are a variety of internet hosting services, such as Yahoo, Hurricane Electric, and Pair Networks. Businesses can set up a domain (or website) through these services for a nominal monthly fee, usually around $20 for a basic set-up. Make your URL as simple as possible. Ideally, it should be the name of the company or event being publicized.
- Promote the website. The internet is a great promotional tool. The company or event's URL should be found on all company or event literature. PR directors who are interviewing or writing press releases should mention the URL or use it as a reference point within a press release.
- Use meta tags. Meta tags help those browsing the internet to find the website. For example, the keywords meta tags for a charity 5k race could include 5K race, race, charity run, fun run, runner, or anything that has to do with running or charities. Such keywords lead people to websites they may or may not have been looking for and are an effective promotional tool.
- Keep the site updated. In order for a website to garner positive publicity, it should not have outdated information, broken links, or mistakes. The website should be as professional and up to date as possible.
- Have other companies or organizations link to the website. This does not work for competitors of course, but networking comes in handy in this case. Fellow organizations raising money for the same cause are often more than happy to promote others.
Other Forms of Internet Publicity
There are other ways the internet has been used for tools of publicity:
Many companies ask for email addresses of those who visit the website. That way, they can receive emails that keep them updated on company or event happenings. Bulk emails like these should be limited to 2-4 a year with a link that allows visitors to unsubscribe from the list at any time.
Promote an event on a trade or hobby website. For example, a fundraiser for an animal shelter could be promoted on a dog lover's board online. It is important to check the Terms of Service first, as some internet communities might consider this spam and delete the message.
For more information about public relations and related topics, visit the following websites:
http://101publicrelations.com
www.publicrelationsideas.com
