Traditional PR is steadily becoming increasingly irrelevant. Press kits and press releases used to be staples of every company big and small. But they discovered an awful truth. They are just not relevant any longer because they are not effective.
However, what you need to keep in mind is that the skills associated with traditional PR still exist. So, we answer whether traditional PR is still relevant?
Less Return On The Investment
Press kits and press releases are just not as effective because they have either become too widespread, and technology has taken the reigns. For many companies, it’s a combination of both. How many journalists are going to waste their time reading a press release from a random small business they find online?
Like with TV advertising and radio advertising, for most organizations there’s no real targeting and the returns simply aren’t worth it.
Connecting Traditional Audiences Still Matter
Let’s take a closer look at the press release. This used to be the best way to reach journalists and traditional media outlets. But today journalists aren’t looking at press releases. They are going to Twitter and video ads. In other words, the industry has gone 100% digital.
It’s still important to connect with traditional media, though. You still need the techniques of traditional PR to succeed, even if you are applying those traits to more modern advertising methods.
Which Transferrable Skills Are Most Valuable?
- Hitting Your Audience – You must hit your audience. This was always the case. But traditional PR options aren’t particularly effective at hitting their target audiences anymore. But with digital methods, you can target like never before.
- Writing a Story – Traditional PR was still about the story. You always needed great writing skills to succeed. That’s still relevant, even if the words might not be on the screen but converted into a video presentation instead.
- Planning at the Higher Level – Traditional PR campaigns were always woven into a grand plan. In this digital age, one of the biggest reasons why companies fail at marketing is because they are unable to plan at the top level.
Where Is The Industry Going?
Take the three skills listed above and think about how they can fit into a digital world. That same digital world comes with much shorter attention spans, no gatekeepers, and a nearly unlimited number of channels to utilize. That’s not going to change, but traditional PR experts only need an understanding of these new channels and they can still be successful.
The message is that you shouldn’t confine the entire traditional PR to the trash can of history. Use those same skills but apply them to the new marketing methods of today.
Conclusion – Get Started
It’s time to start learning those traditional PR skills. A mix of traditional PR and new-age PR will give you the best results. Combine new channels and old knowledge together and you will gain a great advantage over your competitors.
What do you think is the most important traditional PR skill?
