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With digital transformation strategies becoming the new normal in almost all industries, businesses across the world are adopting digital solutions to upgrade their processes and communication. PR is no different. After all, embracing digital technology is slowly but surely changing the way PR campaigns are implemented.

AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) are the two leading technologies that are transforming modern PR workflows. It is, therefore, important that businesses build an enterprise-wide digital culture and remain competitive.

Some important benefits of implementing digital solutions in your PR campaigns include increased online visibility and website traffic, improved SEO performance, organic link building, more leads, boosted sales, and an improved reputation.

Mentioned ahead are a few best practices that can help PR teams make the most of modern digital solutions.

PR workflow

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Top Five Best Practices for Implementing Digital Solutions in PR

1) Get the Bigwigs Onboard

Going digital with your PR processes is a huge step, one that needs to start from the top. This means getting timely approvals from your top management, be it your C-suite, your marketing managers, your PR head, and so on. If these authority figures don’t agree on it, launching and maintaining your digital solution will be a lot more challenging than it should be.

If you have their green signal, but aren’t sure where to start with the rather large-scale implementation, consider partnering with an external PR agency. For a smooth start, create time-bound contract terms, outline the key variables, and define remote access policies for handling confidential business information. This will help things move along smoothly.

Thanks to the agency’s experience, working with them will help you understand how the media/journalists work. Once you understand how they deem what’s newsworthy, you can start using your digital solutions to create your own projects, attract new investors, and influence the right stakeholders to grow your campaigns.

2) Identify Objectives

So, you have everyone you need onboard, but do you know what you are working towards? Of course, you can always fall back on the overall marketing and communications objectives to chart a roadmap, but you still need to be specific about your PR goals.

Your objective/goal can be anything: increasing your email marketing list, boosting the number of YouTube followers, addressing online reviews and feedback, or even gaining audience trust. Having a clear reason for implementing digital solutions will make the process as well as measuring success easier.

PR workflow

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3) Do Your Homework

By homework, we mean research. Many companies make the mistake of either overlooking this step or going for the same solutions as their peers. However, no two businesses are the same and neither are their requirements. Doing sufficient research will help you identify the solutions that are most suitable for your unique business needs. This way, you can minimize the risk of investing in the wrong tools.

You don’t need to research every available solution. Simply pick the top three best-in-class tools and study them. Have their teams perform a demo for more clarity on their capabilities and performance. Carefully compare the basic and premium features, and then make your decision.

4) Facilitate Team-Wide Adoption

The full-scale adoption of the digital solution is as important as implementing the right tool. However, don’t assume that your team members will happily lap up the PR solutions you want to implement. Also, don’t forget that multiple stakeholders, including the top management, will be involved in the adoption stage.

This can work to your advantage. It is a good idea to rope in the leadership team to promote adoption and engagement among other teams down the order. Actively involving all team members in the onboarding process can help too. Encourage participation by organizing demos, pilot groups, and testing. Invite their feedback and insights to refine the solution and enable faster, smoother adoption.

The next step would be providing the right training and support so all the teams understand the benefits of the digital solution, and use it to its maximum potential. This will go a long way in minimizing errors and maximizing productivity.  

5) Address Resistance the Right Way

At the time of gathering feedback for the new digital solution, be open to receiving negative feedback and resistance. When this happens, acknowledge it immediately, and be transparent about how you will address them.

Even if you don’t plan on addressing these concerns, explain the business rationale behind your decision publicly and transparently. This will help you retain a culture of trust and collaboration throughout the organization.

Another way to reinforce positive behaviors among teams is by identifying the early adopters and recognizing their wins and achievements (big or small) with using the tool. This will also help build momentum and create enthusiasm about using the solution in innovative ways.

Conclusion

Implementing digital solutions in your PR workflow can help you drive continuous improvements in your public relations campaigns. However, the successful implementation of even a single tool requires a collaborative approach that also focuses on the people and processes. Hopefully, the best practices mentioned above will enable you to implement your digital solutions effectively by maximizing adoption, pushing you closer towards your PR goals.

Gaurav Belani

Gaurav Belani

Gaurav Belani is Sr. SEO & Content Marketing Analyst at Growfusely.