Building links with your brand through PR
One major part of Internet PR also happens to be link building. This is when a company utilizes links from their website and other websites to help build their brand and strengthen their identity online, usually linking from blogs, like-minded websites, news sources, and content aggregators. One way to link build is through public relations.
Online options for press kits
In a previous blog, How Online PR Supports Inbound Marketing, we mentioned how inbound marketing and public relations go hand-in-hand. Public relations in today's world has changed quite a bit. Instead of sending out press kits and the like, companies can rely on the following:
- An informative and active blog.
- Using social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn.
- Engaging in social media through those social networks.
- Using forums and discussion groups.
- Newsgroups.
Linking increases brand awareness
Internet PR can spread by these methods, but, your company needs to also remember that your content needs to be linkable in order to build a strong connection of inbound and outbound links. Linking is important because it increases your SEO and search engine visibility!
5 link-building practices
So, what makes content link-worthy? Or, how should you build up your links?
- Engage in discussion, use open-ended questions and statements to start a conversation about your brand.
- Use forums and discussion boards to your advantage—link to your website, blog, and other profiles frequently to show you are an expert in your field.*
- Create blog posts and share them on your own social networks, allowing others to share and retweet them.
- Link to others constantly so they will link to you in return (just remember to tell them!).
- Reach out to reviewers, professional bloggers, and journalists who can link to your company in their own online posts.
*A word of caution when linking to your website, blog, or other profiles. These links can be perceived as spam and self-serving when your comments provide no real value to the discussion. It is also best to set up these links in a signature boilerplate.
Online public relations requires experience and consistency
If you don’t have the time or the expertise, an inbound marketing agency can help with the SEO, link building and Internet PR for your business. You have the option of working with a strong marketing team or using easy-to-use but highly effective tools on your own.
Link building and using inbound marketing resources means a wider range of online visibility for your brand attracting potential clients, customers, and other businesses who might want to work with you. Search engines will rank your website higher, too.
Public relations is a very important part of any business, as it opens two-way communication and continues to reinforce your brand and company altogether. And using Internet PR should be a top priority to stay relevant in this fast-paced, changing world.
