Australian agencies 'don't get' online PR

Digital Ministry - Ad:Tech - Brand marketers still looking for digital marketing solutions.

There was very little presence from pr agencies at the Conference, and just the one panel session on Digital PR moderated by the Lee Hopkins one of Australia's most respected social media experts. The panel included a large pr company Digital Executive, The Wool Corporation (their client) and media blogger Trevor Cook. While Lee tried his best to evoke meaningful discussion the session delivered ‘beginner' tips further indicating that the level of maturity about digital or online PR in the room was quite low.

At the following SEO session (held in the same room) the few PR people at the Conference actually left the room - apparently in the belief that SEO was not part of PR or believing it was too ‘techy'. In the US PR is a key supplier of natural or organic search engine optimisation. Clearly the Australian PR industry has still to catch up with this.

The frustration for the few of us in PR actually living and breathing online or digital PR - and engaging in the online conversation - is that the marketers who showed that they wanted to address this area went away blissfully unaware that this capability does actually exist in Australia.

Thanks to Lee Hopkins for the pointer.

Comments

[Ameel]

This is probably both good and bad, right? Bad that there's a lack of overall awareness but also good in the sense that there's a huge opportunity here. Of course building that awareness (of online PR & social media and the awareness of its usage and benefits) will be a bit of a challenge but that's to be expected.

[Michael Netzley]

Thanks for sharing your observations. Certainly businesses are still in the learning stage and trying to figure out the online space. For me, personally, I try to manage my response. I find curiosity to be useful. Why can the social media message sometimes evoke a response of remaining blissfully unaware? I hope that curiosity leads me closer to their world view and eventually helps me figure out how our message is not yet resonating with some business audiences. I fear that frustration separates me from business leaders and makes me a less effective advocate.

[Jenni Beattie]

Thanks Trevor for the link love!

Cheers
Jen

[henrry134]

Writing an http://www.netcallidus.com/Online_pr/index.html is good promotional tactic. Writing should be fascinating but brief. Online press release should always be double-spaced and approximately a page long and in no way greater than two pages.