Why aren’t PR firms offering digital marketing services to their clients?
On Sunday, David Anderson from Off Madison Ave and I presented this roundtable at the PRSA Counselor’s Academy conference in Palm Desert.
The title is: Revenue.com: Launching Digital Marketing Services to Grow Retainers. Note we only had ~30 minutes, so this isn’t as comprehensive as I’d prefer.
Social Media And Seo For PR Firms
View more Microsoft Word documents from Jason Baer.
There are 5 Advantages of Digital Services
- Marketing dollars are moving to the Web (Internet is already 3rd largest advertising vehicle, behind only newspapers and TV)
- Brands are embracing social media. 63% of global best-in-class companies will increase social media spending in 2009.
- Most digital services are ongoing, retainer-based programs.
- Digital services are inherently measurable, making it easier to prove PR firm value.
- Digital is ever-changing. There’s always a new wrinkle – always something new to sell.
3 Must-Do Digital Services for PR Firms
- Search engine optimization. Fundamentally linked to modern public relations (or should be).
- Social media. Listening programs. Engagement and messaging counsel. Social media crisis management.
- Digital content creation. Blogs. Facebook pages. Podcasts. Videos. eBooks. Helping clients atomize content effectively (see this post from Todd Defren for more info).
6 Steps to Mastering Digital Services at PR Firms
- Matrix client opportunities. Is the client engaged in SEO, social media, etc. already? In-house? With another agency?
- Index staff competency. Probably, your existing staff aren’t SEO or social media “experts.” But, are there team members with interest + aptitude? Put your aces in their places.
- Assign vertical expertise. Don’t try to make an all-knowing digital superstar in your agency. It’s high risk, and it doesn’t scale. Divide expertise throughout the team. 1-2 people per discipline.
- Train. Find someone reputable to provide serious social media training, SEO training, digital content training.
- Practice on yourself. Eat your own dog food. Get good at SEO, social media, and digital content on behalf of your own agency.
- Sell to clients through education. It’s easier to sell digital services in a seminar, rather than a “pitch.” Start scheduling regular education sessions for your clients, and they’ll end up “pitching” themselves.
What did we miss?
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An interesting take on how and why PR firms should do digital from @jaybaer [link to post] #kat
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RT @jaybaer: 6 Steps for PR Firms to offer digital services to their clients. [link to post]
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PR folks, take a read: 6 Steps for PR Firms to offer digital services to their clients. [link to post] (via @jaybaer)
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RT @jaybaer: 6 Steps for PR Firms to offer digital services to their clients. [link to post] Good Stuff in here!
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[...] in their digital service packages. Today, for example, Jason from C&C posted a really great post outlining the details that should come in these [...]
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Great quickread! – peep @ceesutt @Cguaty RT @SocialMedia411: Why Can’t PR Do Digital? (Jason Baer / @jaybaer): [link to post]
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Why Can’t PR Do Digital? (Jason Baer / @jaybaer): [link to post]
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@hjkelley @clarknwark @gregrossiter @elisemitch RT@SocialMedia411: Why Can’t PR Do Digital? (Jason Baer / @jaybaer): [link to post]
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can pr master social media? [link to post]
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Good read: RT @DebInDenver: RT @jaybaer: 6 Steps for PR Firms to offer digital services to their clients. [link to post]
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Why Can’t PR Do Digital? (Jason Baer / @jaybaer): [link to post]
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PRs should be offering digital marketing services – we know, we do – still good to read [link to post]
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SocialMedia411: Why Can’t PR Do Digital? (Jason Baer / @jaybaer): [link to post]
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Me like this: RT @SocialMedia411: Why Can’t PR Do Digital? (Jason Baer / @jaybaer): [link to post]
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Convince and Convert Blog: Where Social Media and Email Collide » Why Can’t PR Do Digital? [link to post]
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Why Can’t PR Do Digital? [link to post] Nice article with #slideshare
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Yes, why DON’T PR firms offer digital services? [link to post] I guess I’ll just have to do it myself, http://bit.ly/rS5K
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The last few tweet posts were via @jaybaer, everyone needs to follow him. His latest: [link to post] & http://bit.ly/Zs4Ed
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[...] in their digital service packages. Today, for example, Jason from C&C posted a really great post outlining the details that should come in these [...]