There are two developments that make PR more promising than ever before. Discover why PR is becoming an increasingly popular part of the marketing mix.
What is news?
First, let's consider the (or, at least, my favorite) definition of news. As Rob Wijnberg (founder of De Correspondent) suggests: "News tells you what's happening today, but seldom what happens every day. As a result, we overestimate the importance of rare events and often miss the most important developments of our time. Those who follow the news, know exactly how the world does not work."
For this reason, Wijnberg founded De Correspondent, which focuses on developments that go beyond the frantic pace of daily news. An important aspect of this definition is the underlying principle: news doesn't teach you much about the world. So don't hesitate to create news yourself. News is: something that hasn't existed before — and that scores.
News depends on algorithms
The majority of internet traffic is directed by the algorithms of big tech companies. Google dictates what we find on the internet. Thanks to timelines on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and other social platforms, we are presented with content. Content that scores leads to more interaction, therefore more time spent on the platform, and consequently a larger advertising budget.
Why do you think clickbait articles like 'Is Ashton Kutcher gay?' perform so well? Not because they teach you anything about the world. The answer to such a question is, in nine out of ten cases, no. Those articles (and headlines) score because they follow the laws of the algorithms and cleverly tap into the needs of news consumers. Understanding these algorithms gives you an advantage. Content that leverages these rules often scores higher and promotes your relationship with the media.
Facebook and Google are taking over advertising budgets
Journalists have become busier. That is because many advertising budgets have shifted to Google and Facebook. With fewer colleagues, they have to fill the same newspapers or blog pages. As a result, there is less time for research or to check a press release.
A hilarious example: Vloggers Thijs Meeuwsen and Joep ten Hove convinced newspapers in Erp, Bergen op Zoom, Sint-Oedenrode, Gilze en Rijen, Goirle, Den Bosch, and more than thirty other localities that they were from those regions. That wasn't really true, but that's what they made the local newspapers believe. This resulted in publicity in all those local papers. "How two boys became famous throughout the country by fooling local newspapers," headlines Omroep Brabant, providing even more free publicity.
The Era of PR
As funny as the example above may be, it mostly shows that editorial offices are increasingly relying on third-party content. PR has never been more opportune than it is now.
