Top 5 Online Tools/Services a PR Should Use

The Internet has tremendously increased the ability to get a hold of breaking news at any given time for populations across the globe. The result has been a more informed group of publics, and more pressure for public relations practitioners to find ways to both maintain their client’s image, as well as presence in the media.

With the possibility of any news—good or bad—being released at any given moment or time about an organization or client, a PR should use the very source that is allowing these stories to spread so rapidly, to their advantage—the Internet.

5 online tools/services a PR should be using are:

1. WEBPAGE

A webpage should be the first form of online communication that a PR sets up for an organization. Not only can a website be used to store and share information such as photographs, press kits and releases, event information, etc., it is a quick and easy way for different publics to access information about an organization. Also, a website can prove to be very helpful for a public relations practitioner in the event of a crisis being that all of the information a PR may need is readily available in one location.

2. FACEBOOK

Facebook has proven itself to be an essential service for a PR. Both a cheap and effective way to reach a large, targeted audience, the social media site can be used to create awareness of upcoming events or developing stories about an organization. Its group and fan pages also open up the ability for two-way communication between an organization and different publics because it allows interaction, for instance sharing thoughts, ideas, and opinions on matters, between the two.

3. TWITTER

Having a Twitter account could help a PR keep followers of an organization updated on current or live events through either an RSS feed for the site or by posting a tweet, or link to a video or photo. Doing so will help to create a public that is both loyal and passionate about an organization.

4. FLICKR/YOUTUBE

Both sites create the ability for information to be easily embedded into sources located elsewhere, such as a webpage. Sites like YouTube and Flickr also have a high traffic volume, which means that any video or photograph of an event can potentially drive more traffic to an organization’s webpage.

5. SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO)

Another way a PR could drive traffic to an organization’s webpage is by using SEO. Creating and linking multiple sites is a sure way a PR can get an organization’s main site at the top of a search engine, therefore increasing the possibility of an organization’s exposure to different publics.

Though each tool/service is helpful in their own way, when used collectively, they can be a powerful force that a public relations practitioner can use to help keep publics informed about a client.