PAN Communications prSPEAK

Our agency pr class at Syracuse has come to a close, but not without the hectic atmosphere that surrounds any college class in its final week. Conveniently, since the class was a 10-week, two-credit course culminating before the official end of the semester, our final presentations were conducted the first Tuesday back from spring break.

I spent my spring break in Las Vegas (my first time), which had unseasonably great weather all week, 80-90 degrees with cloudless skies.

I know my mind was definitely stuck by the pool with my frozen margarita, thinking about the money I had won on the Black Jack table instead of on the final presentation that loomed ahead. And as snowstorms on the east coast canceled many flights into the area some were quite literally stuck. One member of my group, Clifford, didn’t even get back until the morning of the presentation.

However, those who made it on time were jolted back to the reality of snowy Syracuse, feverishly working to prepare their final presentations to win the business of Maui Beverage. The three PR firms made up of members of our class, Clifford Public Relations (small), French, West, Vaughan (mid-sized) and Hill and Knowlton (large, international), all presented the research, tactics and ideas they had been working on all semester.

Each group worked hard and did a great job presenting. I know this class taught me (and everyone else I’m sure) way more than I thought it would about life in agency public relations.

Headed to “>Search Engine Strategies next week. PAN Communications will be at Booth 110. Stop by and chat with us about how public relations can complement your SEO campaign and help your visibility AND credibility! It’s a question we hear more and more….

If I have a SEO effort underway, how would Public Relations help?
SEO is good for visibility and PPC campaigns, but that’s different from true validation. Public relations campaigns validate companies, products, and services through third-parties such as editors, reviewers, analysts, associations and other influencers who choose to talk about that company, product or service. A good public relations campaign will also help a company, product, service, etc. score higher in organic search results as well, as media reports stay visible to search engines much longer than PPC campaigns.

How is a public relations campaign different from a SEO campaign?
A public relations program is primarily concerned with influencing the media, analysts, associations and other constituencies, so the ultimate consumer has a positive impression and understanding of a company, product or service and will invest their time, energy and interest in it. PR combines awareness with instant credibility to capture an audience and generate a quicker purchase decision.

A good example: if an automobile company says that it has the most fuel efficient car in the world and does it through a SEO campaign that gets the brand in “all corners of the web”—that’s visibility, and that’s good. BUT, if a respected car reviewer for The New York Times says that the car is the most fuel efficient in the world—that’s validation, and that’s CREDIBLE.

What do press hits do to help my online presence?
Media coverage, analyst reports, association newsletters, influencer discussions, speaking opportunities, award opportunities, and other third-party promotional opportunities enhance a company’s online presence by validating it or its product or service. If something is validated, visibility will naturally follow through word of mouth (blogs) and enhanced by positive online presence generated by a solid SEO campaign. Visibility always follows a positive media impression, and media impressions are forever on the Web, unlike PPC campaigns.

How can public relations efforts integrate with SEO?
A good marketing program often has multiple, intertwined components that work together to drive maximum positive awareness. PAN Communications works with clients to help drive positive validation. That’s “jet-fuel” for a SEO campaign.