Public Relations Tools – Old and New

Public Relations specialists use tools to complete the tasks at hand. Public Relations is a leadership and management function that facilitates organizational change, defines philosophy, and achieves organizational objectives for the company. The tools that PR specialists use have changed over the years through modifications and additions thanks to the increase in technology. Today a mix of old and new PR tools are used to accomplish their goals.

In the past, PR specialists had to turn to snail mail. This is the act of placing press releases in envelopes and mailing them individually to people. There was no technology to speed up the process. Today it is now possible to send mass emails to people, and to place their press releases and newsletters on the Internet at the public’s disposure.

Another way to send out information to the public in the past was the use of fax machines. Fax machines are not used today on a daily basis. The use of fax machines is limited to very specific needs. To be able to send a fax machine PR specialists have to obtain the numbers of individual household fax numbers. Their main use of them was to send out client news. Today it is possible thanks to the Internet to send out client news via the Internet. This information is found on multiple social networks like Twitter and Facebook, personal company websites, and can even be sent through email.

In the past there were no easy editing tools to catch possible mistakes on press releases. To edit, PR specialists had no other option but to edit by hand. Today, there are programs that allow quick, efficient, and simple editing. Depending on the individual assigned to editing, they might prefer the old tactics as opposed to the new ones.

Every company is required to have a Press Kit Folder. In the past, a press kit folder was an actual folder containing a press kit. The information compiled within a press kit includes the biography of the company, the senior management, a testimonial of client comments, photos of products, and a reprint of newspapers and magazine ads. If one wanted access to the press kit for any reason, whether it is to review or add information, they would need to physically handle the documents in their hands. Today, thanks to technology, companies have virtual press kits. It is easy to access or add information at any time due to the easy online access.

A part of Public Relations is conducting press tours. In the past press tours were strictly conducted in person. Today there are organizations that prefer conducting their press tours in person; whereas, there is the option of having them done virtually. It can be found online, or at the actual company with a virtual automated guide.

Client media coverage is essential for companies. PR specialists would save client media coverage. In the past they were required to physically cut out and save clippings from newspapers and magazines. Today, most of the printed media can be found in archives online. This makes it easier for PR specialists to find client media coverage and to save them. Online it is possible to search for key words to locate all applicable information that a PR specialist might require in terms of saving client media coverage for further use.

It is extremely important for the public relations office to have access to media contact information. Today it is extremely easy to find contact information. This information is accessible to the public on multiple websites and social media networks. If one was unable to find this information, they can easily request it. New technology has also opened new forms of contact. There are phone numbers, emails, Facebook, Twitter, and many more ways of reaching media contacts. In the past there was no easy virtual way to find contact information. A directory was used for PR specialists to search for media contact information. Directories are rarely used today, if used at all. It is a book filled with the contact information of people in the area.

Not all employees would work with the office from the office itself.  To be able to contact the office from outside of the workplace, people today can use their smartphones to contact on almost every possible network. They can call from any location, email, use social networks, and more. In the past it was only possible for people to contact the office from payphones and landlines.

There are tools that were practiced in the past and are still practiced today. The attendance of PR managers at Public Events is essential to attract public attention. It is also a way to engage the public and different organizations. Another benefit is that it gives PR specialists a place to publicly speak directly to the public. In turn, media coverage of the event reflects the PR specialist’s words to the greater public.

Creating a press release and sending it out to the public is a tool that was used in the past and is still used today. A press release is information found as part media mediums like television programs, magazines, newspapers and more. The old way of administrating press releases into the public varied from mailing them, sending them via fax machine, and other in person deliveries. New technology permitted the ability to send press releases via the Internet.

The use of newsletters is another tool that was used in the past and is still used today. A newsletter is information of the organization, its products, and services. They are created to maintain a relationship with the company’s target audience. It is also used to share news and information that would interest the public, as well as promote the company’s products. In the past it was sent out to the public the same way a press release was. Today it is found on company websites, social networks, and can even be mailed to people who subscribe to the newsletter.

New media technology has opened doors to new Public Relations tools. Blogging is a new tool that was introduced after the introduction of the Internet. It targets an online audience. PR specialists make use of digital press releases and newsletters to reach the public through blogging. It is also easy to administrate two-way communication between the public and the organization.

Social media and social network use have skyrocketed in the years since they have been created. Social media marketing uses social media networks to market the company’s products online. Social networks also offer a direct way for organizations to communicate with the public.

Public Relations tools have expanded greatly over the years. The Internet allowed PR specialists to find a way to make the tools they practiced in the past easier. It also created new tools for them to use. A new audience was introduced expanding the reach of companies. Over the years PR specialists have managed to optimize the use of both old and new PR tools to their advantage.