| Today, it is essential for every business to maintain an | | | | could include photos(including high-resolution photos), |
| online presence. Without this, the business will | | | | interviews, additional event listings and so on. |
| completely miss out on a huge client base. | | | | - Social media. The phrase "social media" today is |
| However, maintaining the online wing of a business is | | | | used mostly for sites like Facebook or MySpace, but |
| hard work - just like any other aspect of a business. | | | | everything from blogs to microblogs (e.g. Twitter) to |
| Marketing and PR, in fact, are even more difficult online | | | | the sites mentioned before can be used as social |
| than offline, as there are a large number of online-only | | | | media. Putting up regular updates, following people in |
| businesses which are also competing for visibility with | | | | one's own industry or related industries, building one's |
| the retail-and-online businesses. | | | | rapport with potential clients... all of this can give a |
| Some methods to utilize for online PR include: | | | | business visibility as well as creating personal |
| - Press Releases. Press releases are meant to inform | | | | relationships with contacts. |
| the media about events in a company. Like a lot of PR, | | | | - Reputation monitoring. Monitoring reputation is one of |
| it is quite difficult to get your press releases noticed - | | | | the most crucial aspects of online PR. In order to figure |
| instead of marked as spam - while you are a small | | | | out which of your online campaigns is most successful, |
| company. Once the business grows, the journalists | | | | to locate potential niche pockets of customers, to nip |
| themselves begin to follow the press releases put up | | | | any public controversies in the bud and to feel the |
| on the company's own page. | | | | pulse of the client base, it is necessary to subscribe to |
| While emailing press releases is effective if one has | | | | a reputation monitoring service. While Google Alerts |
| contacts in the media, another way of getting press | | | | does alert you every time someone mentions the |
| releases and press trip invites noticed is to put them up | | | | keywords you specify, it does not offer the |
| on PR wire services. These services forward the | | | | sophisticated charting mechanisms that reputation |
| press releases to media professionals, and some of | | | | monitoring services can do. |
| them even accept responses made by journalists to | | | | Using these tools, you can listen to what the public |
| the company's press officers. | | | | thinks of your business, formulate your public relations |
| - Press resource on your website. First of all, all your | | | | policies accordingly, and address any queries as soon |
| press releases should link back to your web page. On | | | | as they appear. This gives you a much better |
| your web page, you should provide additional material | | | | reputation with your clientele, and makes them more |
| that journalists can use to write out their features. This | | | | likely to recommend you to others. |