Public Relations Vs. "Consumer Generated Media" from Bloggers

With the rise of Blogs across the U.S., a new typeexperts in their technology, created a two-part
of information dissemination has grown toplan to dominate the initial search results found
mammoth proportions-consumer generated mediawhenever someone was seeking information on
produced by blogs. Pew Internet & American Lifeany of its clients. The process, known as Press
study reports that 7% of the 120 million U.S.Direct, involves creating professionally written,
adults who use the internet say they haveinterest grabbing articles and press releases that
created a blog or web-based diary. Thatare linked in terms of story content and then
represents approximately 8 million Americans.distributing the articles to dozens of article content
Twenty-seven percent of internet users say theyhubs. These content sites provide news stories,
read blogs, totaling 32 million people. What mostarticles, and commentary to tens of thousands of
people don't know is that search engine spideringusers such as TV and radio news directors, print
technology is attracted to web sites whoseeditors, popular web sites, news sites and other
content "changes" constantly. This means thatinformation destinations. ITMG subsequently
blog content has a higher likelihood to find its waydistributes the related press release, which is
to the top of search engine results as comparedtargeted to media contacts, after the prior
with static web site content. This is the primaryarticles begin popping up all over the internet.The
reason for the POWER behind the growth of thearticle hubs aren't just any media outlets. These
blog as a media outlet.The birth of blog relatedsites are selected because of their substantial
consumer generated media has played havoc withdistribution reach and Alexa ranking is tantamount
the fundamental goals of public relations firms. Asto the Neilson of the internet world. Alexa ranks
late as ten years ago, all a good PR firm had toweb sites worldwide in accordance with their
do to control the image of its clients was tovisitor traffic levels). Each article and related press
maintain good relations with the three major TVrelease is search engine optimized based on the
networks, the fifteen major hub newspapers thatmost popular keywords connected to a given
feed content to hundreds of other dailyindustry so as to make it search engine friendly
newspapers, and the 3 or 4 major radiobefore placement. Once the initial article is
networks. Currently, a PR firm has to contend notsubmitted and that same article finds its way
only with the mainstream media, cable and radioonto thousands of other web sites via the
networks, but also a tidal wave of informationcontent hubs, a press release version is
flooding onto the internet from blogs.This newdistributed to major wire services and to a large
wave of internet related content may not havehome grown list of media contacts owned by
been a problem if the role of the World WideITMG, numbered in the thousands."We figured out
Web had remained in the hands of the universitiesthat we should write an appropriate 'linked article'
library system and DARPA (Defense Advancedin conjunction with a press release", describes Bob
Research Project Agency) where the internetCefail, Chairman of In Touch Media Group, "and
was spawned. Unfortunately for those companiesplace the article into as many of these article
recently targeted by negative commentary viahubs as possible. The effect was breathtaking
the blog network, the following chilling internetwhen we saw that the article we had written
user statistics are quite relevant. On a typical daywas sweeping across the internet". What ITMG
at the end of 2004, some 70 million Americanfigured out was to first lay the ground work for a
adults logged onto the Internet to use email, getpress release through the use of a well designed
news, access government information, check outarticle. What ITMG didn't expect was that the
health and medical information, participate inarticle, placed in the hubs, and the follow-up press
auctions, book travel reservations, research theirrelease would completely dominate the first few
genealogy, gamble, seek out romantic partners,pages of any internet search on almost any topic;
and engage in countless other activities. Thatthereby, pushing negative content back into the
represents a 37 percent increase from the 51back pages of the search results.When considering
million Americans who were online on an averagethe fact that huge article hubs have ever-changing
day in 2000 when the Pew Internet & Americancontent numbering in the thousands of daily
Life Project began its study of online life. Thischanges, one can see why the search engine
trend is ONLY going up.Another Pew studyspiders are highly attracted to the article hubs.
identified that fact that over 50% of all onlineOne can liken these content hubs to "super blogs"
purchases are now PRECEEDED by an internetin terms of their effectiveness in search engine
search. Thirty-six percent of all internet usersranking versus normal blogs. The key to In Touch
under the age of 30 say that they could not liveMedia Group's success can be tracked back to
without internet search engines. This illustratesthe ancient teachings of a Chinese Military figure
what many ad agency executives now take fornamed Sun Tzu. The famous general wrote in his
granted-that people, in higher and higher numbers,well known book, The Art of War, that when one
are using internet information, not mainstreamhas a larger opponent, one must get a bigger
media related advertising, to make buyingfriend. By using what amounts to "bigger blogs" in
decisions. Every day, more and more people areits efforts to help its client, In Touch Media Group
turning on computers versus the TV set forwas able to out- create negative consumer
information and entertainment.Public Relationsgenerated media produced by consumer
Firms Must Adopt New StrategiesPublic relationsblogs.The Press Direct campaign also accomplished
executives and professionals must begin toseveral other significant results. With one movie
develop new strategies for controlling what is saidcompany client, the Press Direct service resulted
about their clients on the internet. This can bein over 400 media pick-ups of just one press
done in one of two ways: 1) focus effortsrelease story over only a 7-day period as
towards influencing bloggers in terms of whatreported by In another case, an ITMG faith-based
they are saying about their clients and change anymedia client, whose Alexa ranking was 2,398,449,
negative attitudes (the way PRs used to addresshad its ranking bettered to under 94,000 in less
potential negative messages distributed throughthan a month!With consumer generated media
the limited number of mainstream media outletscreating as much as 40% of all search results
of yester year); 2) control what is found on thepresently, a substantial percentage of which is
first half dozen pages of internet search resultsnegative in nature, potential candidates for search
when their client's information is being looked up.engine content management and control includes
The goal of the latter solution is far morepoliticians, entertainment, sports, and large public
attainable than the first solution. With millions ofcorporations. Consumer product companies are at
bloggers, and the number is growing hourly,particular risk as concerns negative blog
pumping out terabytes of information each andcommentary because their products or services
every day, control of their message is anreach such a large mixture of clientele. If just a
impossible task. Only through some revolutionarysmall percentage of clients find reason to
content control techniques can a PR begin to wincomplain, a large company's search results can be
the battle with the bloggers.This report will trackcritically damaged and no amount of traditional PR
the progress of one company, In Touch Mediafirm repair work can remedy their online image.
Group, in its daily efforts to control client searchOnly a highly targeted campaign involving the aid
results through tools it has recently developed andof article content hubs, search engine optimized
streamlined ( one of just a few companies thatarticles and press releases can stem the tide of
have been awarded the prestigious Googlenegative commentary.
Adwords Qualified Company status given out to