With the explosion in social media platforms, particularly Instagram of late, and the ever-present popularity of Facebook and Twitter, the question arises: Is there still value in traditional media?
The answer is a resounding yes. There’s a credibility factor to an article in the NY Times, to this day considered the “newspaper of record,” that just doesn’t apply to “as seen in Facebook.” When a news article is written by a reputable news source, implied is the very basic principals of journalism: the information has been vetted with at least three sources and carries the judgment and endorsement of the editors.
A recent article in PR Daily debated the pros and cons of traditional, (defined here as ink, airtime and online coverage), versus digital. Here’s an excerpt:
“Although your clients still want coverage high on the media food chain, public consumption of information demands that, for better or worse, the smartest PR plans involve a mixture of new and traditional PR methods.”
What our PR agency and social media marketing company has evolved in recent years is a blending of the two disciplines, which our clients are finding serves them well, both from a budget and an impact perspective.
Social Media PR Requires Modest Budgets
There’s a reason why social media PR costs probably a quarter of the entire budget: it takes less time. That’s not to undermine its value. A juicy image of a sunset on a Caribbean beach or a yummy looking mango and orange salad can definitely catch your eye. And generate excitement and community.
Since our agency has a staple of journalists at the top tier media, we know how to craft story pitches and newsworthy releases that are going to grab their attention and the attention of their target reader, as discussed in a recent blog. But getting into Vogue or Conde Nast Traveler takes much more time and finesse. Building trust with editors takes time. It takes a massive amount of persistence. But the dividends are enormous.
Access Trips says that to this day a story that appeared in the NY Times on their adventure travel trips in 1997 still generates guests on tours. The longevity and stickiness is there in a way social media isn’t because it’s fleeting. People clip and file places they’d like to go or dishes they’d like to make, whether on their PC or in their manila folder. We secured features for Access Trips, for instance, in Outside Magazine and airtime on NPR’s “All Thing’s Considered – which both have national audiences in the millions. Contrast that in your mind with a Facebook page that has 1,200 likes.
We also secured a column for the head of Access, Tamar Lowell, on Huffington Post, rewarding her with enormous clout and exposure, as well as highly valued SEO punch from its links.
So when you are putting together your promotional budget for 2015 consider investing in a blend of social media and traditional PR tactics. But be sure to find an agency that can prove they have the contacts to get those big hits in the press.