Journal Review 16: How Blogging is a Public Relation Tool

by: Mohd Yuznizam Yaacob (2008721617)

 Short for web log, blog is web journals that allow authors to post thoughts, philosophies, and opinions to a website for public consumption. It can be excellent way to reach those in the target audience who are the most passionate about the subject. Blogging phenomenon poses both a new challenge and an opportunity for public relation practice (Lattimore, 2009).

In her article, Gabriel shares with us on how blogging could be a public relations tool to communicate with target audiences by making our blog looks interesting with a few tricks and rules to be applied in it.

To ensure better visibility, Gabriel has suggested, “…look for someone who can ghostwrite your blog, or train you on how to get the best return for blogging on the Internet…”

Gabriel has also shared some blogging tips to make our blog work very nicely such as:

1. Use newsworthy topics that tie-in to local, national or industry news if possible. Place these key words in your headline and body copy.
2. Link your key words and phrases in blog posts to a page on your website with relevant content.
3. Use about three links per blog post -- beginning middle and end. Also always link towards the beginning middle and end of each paragraph and/or sentence if possible.
4. Use statistics, site studies, and science when you can to lend authority to each blog post.
5. Add photos, diagrams, charts and videos, which should all be uploaded with names that include your keywords.
6. To be clear about a process needing an outcome, use steps or numbers.

In addition by installing the FB “Like” button, can not only share our likes from other places on the Internet it also would act as referral to publicize the posting that we like with our FB friends. According to Gabriel about 2,400 bloggers added this feature soon thereafter and started enjoying a 200 percent growth spurt in their referral traffic from Facebook.

According to Gabriel, previously, journalists need PR people to send them story ideas but not anymore in these days because almost everything they need could be found online through press room on the website. There is company backgrounder, press releases, frequently asked questions (FAQ), product profiles, and photos, videos, etc in a press room. In order to get covered by the media, all the thing need to do is get on the Internet.

source: Kristin Gabriel