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Web public relations (WebPR) collectively stands for the ways in which you can get
your message out online. It is used to connect with customers and enhance brand
awareness, exposure, and SEO (search engine optimization) efforts using various
online channels like article directories, press release sites, industry related sites,
online newsrooms, blogs, forums, and social media.
In a connected, digital world, PR isn’t just about the press release; it’s about
connecting with customers.
-Heidi CohenHeidi Cohen, “More Than a Press Release: Extending Your Online PR
Efforts,” ClickZ, March 30, 2006,http://www.clickz.com/
showPage.html?page=3594951
(accessed May 28, 2008).
History
As new communication tools became available with the developments of the
Internet, so they became available to the PR industry. It also revealed a wider
audience for a company’s stories and developed new channels for promoting them.
With the rise of social media, and especially the growing influence of bloggers, it
became clear that PR officers needed to reach out to more than just journalists.
However, the road has been rocky, and traditional PR has in some instances
struggled to cope with the new rules of engagement.
In February 2006, Tom Foremski wrote in his post “Die! Press Release! Die! Die!
Die!”: “I’ve been telling the PR industry for some time now that things cannot go
along as they are…business as usual while mainstream media goes to hell in a hand
basket.”Tom Foremski, “Die! Press Release! Die! Die! Die!”Silicon Valley Watcher,
February 27, 2006,http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2006/02/
die_press_relea.php
(accessed May 28, 2008).
Chris Anderson, editor in chief of Wiredand author of The Long Tail, announced on
his blog in October 2007 that he was blocking “lazy flacks [who] send press releases
to the Editor in Chief ofWiredbecause they can’t be bothered to find out who on my
staff, if anyone, might actually be interested in what they’re pitching.”Chris
Anderson, “Sorry PR People: You're Blocked,” The Long Tail, October 29, 2007,
http://www.longtail.com/the_long_tail/2007/10/sorry-pr-people.html
(accessed
May 11, 2010).
Chapter 12 Web Public Relations
12.1 Introduction
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