There are many buzzwords in public relations today. Even in other fields, new-age business terms are emerging as millennials and Gen Zers have more and more sway in the workplace.
One such term is “contextual digital PR.” So what does it mean?
Even for PR experts, it can seem confusing. But contextual digital PR is really quite simple in practice: It means using online content to enhance your branding and boost your thought leadership, aligning your key messages with relevant online conversations—that is, what people find interesting. This form of PR is about matching online content with people’s interests. For example, if millions of people are curious about mortgages and car loans, you would target that audience by pitching publications with a specialty in personal finance. News story, meet target audience.
The Power of Earned Media
In PR, we call this kind of news story “earned media.” And earned media is targeted. We don’t just pitch stories for pitching’s sake; we target publications that matter to our target audience—the end user. If they don’t consume content there, we don’t pitch it there.
PR isn’t all about pitching the media, but that is an important part of the day job. By cultivating relationships with journalists and providing them with valuable information, we can encourage them to publish reporting that has to do with our clients. The more valuable the information we provide, the more likely they are to click “publish.”
It’s a win-win relationship: We secure a story for a client, and the journalist reports information that gets people reading and responding. Clicks, clicks and more clicks.
Earned media is a game changer for search engines; it’s often what populates first-page search results when people try to look up an individual or a business. Larger publications tend to have more searchable stories, making it all the more important for PR experts to aim high with media pitching, assuming the client warrants that sort of exposure. For instance, Forbes’ national platform has more domain authority than a community newspaper in Maine.
The Role of Owned Content
However, contextual digital PR is about more than just earned media. It means checking all the boxes in terms of online content, including content under your own control (we call it “owned media”). From website blog posts to social media activity, you need to be active everywhere, demonstrating your subject matter expertise to content consumers across various platforms. This could be your website, your Facebook page or your LinkedIn feed.
Online activity results in key performance indicators (KPIs) such as website traffic, social media engagement and more. If you’re associated with high-value content online, this can also lead to positive benefits when it comes to artificial intelligence—that is, AI-generated responses to user queries. If people search for your name using ChatGPT or Google Gemini, you want the responses to be as informative and positive as possible, casting your brand in a favorable light.
