Public Relations has been considered a powerful tool in promoting a brand and is concerned with maintaining and managing a company or brand’s public image and reputation. It’s a very important aspect of a brand. It helps promote a brand or protect it from damage. This is not a tiny task to take on. It is ongoing and laborious but can be very rewarding. Now, let’s look at two aspects of PR: Online and Offline.

The Difference:

Offline PR incorporates components such as media conferences, media releases, competitions and contributed articles to generate publicity through print, radio and television. Offline PR uses ‘real life’ public events to promote their brands. In other words, it basically uses all traditional media.

Online PR uses the internet (social networks, blogs, forums etc) to promote a brand. This is better known as ‘generating buzz online’. Online PR can be more conversational since you can engage directly with your audience in real time and create a relationship with them.

Now, PR does not only refer to the fun stuff like promoting a brand or company, but rather it involves managing public crises and bad reputation blunders as well.

A story spreads like wild fire online and can cause immense damage to a brand. That is why it is important to incorporate Online Reputation Management into your PR strategy.

When it comes to deciding how to incorporate offline and online PR in your business (and whether you need both) you need to understand both online and offline media very well and the type of consumer you will find on both media.

Read more posts by Yolandi Janse van Rensburg

Yolandi is writer of the Heavy Chef Blog. Yolandi is also a copywriter and community manager at web marketing firm, World Wide Creative. You can find Yolandi on Twitter @Yolandi_JvR

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