In this blog, Hannah Buckley, Head of Content and Service Development, explains:
- what digital PR is and how it differs from traditional PR
- the fundamentals of digital PR strategy
- how digital PR can be used by B2B tech businesses
Defining digital PR
Digital PR has become a core part of how B2B tech brands build visibility and credibility online. But what exactly is it, and how does it differ from traditional PR? In short, digital PR is the practice of gaining online coverage, links and engagement through content, media relations and digital-first outreach strategies. It combines the goals of traditional PR with the tactics of SEO and digital marketing.
The result? Campaigns that not only increase brand awareness but also improve search performance and drive relevant traffic to your website.
Ultimately, it’s an essential part of a broader online PR marketing strategy that helps connect your brand with your audience, where they’re already searching.
What does digital PR involve?
A strong digital PR strategy can include:
- Creating thought leadership content that appeals to your target audience
- Developing blogs and website content to target high value keywords
- Pitching stories and insights to online media outlets and journalists
- Securing coverage with backlinks on high-authority websites
- Engaging with relevant online communities and influencers
- Amplifying earned media through social media and email campaigns
As with traditional PR, the focus is on quality, relevance and outcomes, rather than just quantity.
Digital PR vs traditional PR: what’s the difference?
At this point, you may be wondering what exactly the difference is between Performance PR or traditional PR and digital PR. While traditional PR focuses on a mix of online and print or broadcast media, digital PR is entirely geared toward online platforms.
The tactics behind both, however, are similar – strong storytelling, relevant outreach and a clear understanding of your audience.
At Whiteoaks, we see digital PR as complementary to our PR programmes, not competing. Both play a role in building brand visibility and trust. What’s different is the intent and methodology.
Digital PR tends to be backed by keyword research and gap analysis and focuses on increasing online visibility, improving rankings for keywords and driving traffic to your website, with securing backlinks from high authority websites a key goal.
The way we measure it also differs. The focus is on monitoring backlink quality and assessing the influence of the programme on things like search rankings and web traffic.
Why is digital PR important for B2B tech companies?
For B2B tech brands, digital PR plays a key role in building trust and authority in competitive markets.
At the heart of it is ensuring that when your audience searches for solutions, your brand is discoverable and credible.
While Performance PR can do a lot of the leg work in building reputation and credibility, digital PR helps you become discoverable.
By creating keyword optimised content and earning domain authority boosting backlinks, digital PR strategies improve online visibility and direct potential customers to your site.
In short, digital PR helps connect your expertise with the people actively looking for it.
It’s not either, or
When combined with our Performance PR approach, digital PR can help extend your reach, reinforce your messaging and deliver measurable results across platforms – making it an effective B2B PR programme.
For B2B tech businesses, it’s an effective way to turn industry knowledge into real digital outcomes.
Want to start seeing improvements in rankings and referral traffic to your website? Get in touch to find out how our digital PR services can help.
