Digital Convergence: Marketing & Public Relations #PRSADIConf

Since 2004 or so when I started this blog, I’ve been promoting the convergence of SEO and public relations, especially through press release optimization. Shortly after, that focus has shifted to emphasize the intersection of search, social and content. In fact, here’s a post from 2006 on social media, SEO & PR.

Winds of Change. If you work in the Public Relations world, you’ve undoubtedly observed significant changes both in the news media business and the relationship between PR, intermediary news organizations and consumers. Information preferences have changed, technology and media have changed and the business of news and corporate communications have changed.

44% of Americans own a smart phone �and�51% use them for news. �18% of Americans own a tablet device and 56% use tablets for news consumption. 23% use multiple devices to consume news content. The shift from print to digital goes beyond the desktop to other devices and it’s essential for PR and Communications professionals to understand how target audiences discover and consume news content.

Yin & Yang of Marketing & PR. Marketing goals are influenced by PR and media relations activities. PR objetives are increasingly achieved through online marketing activities. The trend with business leaders expecting marketing and PR outcomes as a result of their investments in content is growing. Across the US, heck all over the world, light bulbs are popping with the realization that siloed marketing and PR no longer works.

Crash or�Catapult. Whether it’s an evolution or worlds colliding depends on how organizations understand and prepare themselves strategically and tactically for the fundamental shifts that drive communications, influence, behaviors and marketing/PR outcomes.

Digital Convergence at Digital Impact. At the PRSA Digital Impact conference in New York this week, brands (Facebook, IBM, Google, Dell) and top practitioners are converging to create a perfect storm of insights into the essential answers PR and communications professionals need to know to evolve themselves and their organizations in this always connected digital age.

Optimize State of Mind. For my part, I’ll be covering the role of content, search and social (as I do) and how PR/Communications can leverage a marketing-centric understanding of audiences to create optimized and socialized content that facilitates both PR and Marketing objectives.

Here’s an outline of what I’ll be presenting on Monday April 2nd at 2:30pm EST:

Convergence: PR, MarketingCustomer Optimization Trilogy: Discover, Consume, ActContent Marketing Framework &�Best PracticesKnow your audience segmentsSearch keywords, social topicsOptimized editorial, socialized promotionSocial networks for engagementOptimize your story: share, buy, recommendEssential measurement for optimized and socialized content

First Sighting of Optimize! It turns out that PRSA Digital Impact 2012 will be the first event where I will have hard cover copies of my new book, Optimize. This is exciting to me because of my PR and SEO roots and having worked with the PRSA as a consultant for quite a few years. ��I’ll be presenting on Monday 4/2 at 2:30pm and if you’d like an opportunity to win one of the very first, signed copies of Optimize, then make sure you’re there. And bring a few friends too!

It’s Kind of a Big Deal. Optimize has been the culmination of my 15 years in the online marketing business and being a “walk the talk” practitioner, working on our own online marketing and with many of our clients. Optimize provides a 30,000 foot view of why and then does a fast, deep dive into a framework and specific tactics that PR and Marketing professionals can use to improve the reach and engagement of their content the same day. Smart folks like Joe Pulizzi, Chris Brogan, Ann Handley, Jay Baer, John Jantsch, Michael Stelzner and digital leaders at Ford, Microsoft, Vocus, Radian6 and Walmart have endorsed Optimize.

Begin your journey to optimized digital convergence. If things work out, I’ll have some books available for a book signing on Tuesday. �In case it doesn’t, be at the 2:30pm Content Marketing & PR session where I’ll give a preview, a few free copies to the best questions and a free SEO Audit Guide for everyone as a thank you for attending.

The digital version of Optimize (i.e. Kindle) is available right now. The hard cover version will be out April 17th through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and many other online book sellers.