This document explains/Simplify our company Evergreen Media’s approach to Digital PR, how it works, and how to use it for your SEO strategy, and how our team works on it, the tools we use, and the workflow we follow to achieve the best results for our clients.This structured research helps me as developer to develop tools that exactly fit the needs of the Digital PR team and help them automate the most time-consuming parts of their workflow.
- SEO strategy
- Market research
- Media relationship management
- Content ideation
- Outreach campaigns
Campaign Types & Goals
The goal depends on the type of campaign:
| Campaign Type | Primary Goal | Broader Objective |
|---|
| Digital PR | Publication itself (brand mention and/or backlink) | Increase online visibility and brand awareness |
| Linkbuilding | The backlink | Improve Domain Authority and SEO rankings |
Objectives of Digital PR
Primary goals:
- Build high-quality backlinks
- Generate editorial media mentions
- Improve organic rankings
- Increase brand authority
- Establish client expertise in their industry
Digital PR differs from traditional link building in emphasis and approach:
| Aspect | Traditional Link Building | Digital PR |
|---|
| Primary focus | Acquiring the backlink | Earning media coverage and mentions |
| Automation | Often uses templates and automation | Uses templates/AI, but stronger focus on personal, human-driven outreach |
| Editorial standards | Variable, sometimes lower | High editorial value expected |
| Story angle | May use story-driven outreach | Story-driven outreach is central (newsworthy angles, data, compelling narratives) |
Both approaches can involve editorial or transactional elements. The key
difference is that Digital PR typically places greater emphasis on
personalization and building outreach around newsworthy content.
Roles in the Digital PR Process
| Role | Responsibilities | Person(s) Responsible |
|---|
| Digital PR Manager | Strategy, campaign direction, topic ideation, outreach supervision | Johanna & Sibylle |
| Market Research | Research studies, data insights, story creation, creating PR-worthy statistics | Sandra & Sibylle |
| Outreach | Contact research, journalist relations, email outreach, follow-ups, topic research | Entire team |
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|
| ChatGPT / AI Tools | Idea generation, contact research, topic research, drafting/optimizing outreach & follow-ups |
| Prowly | Media contact database |
| Blinq | Contact management, drafting outreach emails (used by some team members) |
| Ahrefs | Website metrics (Domain Rating, organic traffic, link quality), competitor analysis, contact research |
| Google Search | Media research |
| LinkedIn | Journalist discovery |
| Email / Outreach Tools | Communication |
| Client Website | Topic understanding |
High-Level Workflow
Based on my understanding, the Digital PR workflow consists of five major phases:
- Client Understanding
- Topic Development
- Contact Research
- Outreach Campaign
- Follow-ups & Relationship Management
Phase 1 - Client Understanding
When a Digital PR project starts, the responsible team member first analyzes the client.
Step 1: Review Client Website
Understand:
- Business model
- Products or services
- Target audience
- Industry positioning
Questions to answer:
- What does the company sell?
- What topics are relevant for media?
- Who are the competitors?
- What expertise does the client have?
Step 2: Identify PR Opportunities
Sources of PR angles include:
- Client expertise
- Industry trends
- Data insights
- Consumer studies
- Seasonal trends
- News relevance
- Relevance for individual publishers
Possible outcomes:
- Expert commentary
- Data-driven stories
- Opinion pieces
- Guides and resources
- Guest posts
- Expert articles (Fachbeiträge)
- Expert interviews
Phase 2 - Topic Development
Topics are generated based on several sources.
Sources for Topics
Topics can come from:
Client
Example:
- Media preferences
- Industry-specific angles
- Campaign themes
Internal Strategy
The team may create topics based on:
- SEO opportunities
- News trends
- Research insights
- Thematic fit to individual publishers
Market Research (MaFo)
Market research campaigns create data-driven PR stories.
Example workflow:
- Define research topic
- Conduct study
- Generate insights
- Create story angles
Example topics:
- Consumer behavior studies
- Industry surveys
- Trend analysis
Contact research identifies the right journalists or editors for outreach.
This step is critical because targeting the correct person determines campaign success.
Search for:
- Publications covering the topic
- Journalists writing about related subjects
- Editorial departments relevant to the topic
Media Metrics (especially important for linkbuilding campaigns)
Use Ahrefs to evaluate potential media outlets:
| Metric | Criteria |
|---|
| Domain Rating (DR) | > 20 |
| Organic Traffic | > 500 |
| Number of linked domains | Fewer outgoing links is better |
| Quality of outgoing links | No or very few links to “bad neighborhoods” (casino, poker, porn sites) |
| Link frequency | No unusually high or unnatural link patterns |
| Ahrefs graph development | Ideally no significant drops |
- Google
- Media databases
- Industry publications
- Client (if they have specific target publications in mind)
- ChatGPT
- Competitor analysis
- Digital PR-Veröffentlichungen sheet - relevant media from past publications
- GetPress-List - more relevant for Digital PR campaigns than linkbuilding
- IVW-Medien - more relevant for Digital PR campaigns than linkbuilding
Example search/Google queries:
news.com topic keyword
keyword journalist
keyword study report
Step 2 - Identify Journalists
The goal is to identify the most relevant contact person and their email address.
After identifying articles:
- Check the article author
- Determine if they cover the topic regularly
- Add them to the contact list
Example signals:
- Frequent articles on the topic
- Editorial role
- Subject expertise
Email Contact Priority
We prioritize email contacts in the following order:
| Priority | Contact Type |
|---|
| 1 | Personal email address of the responsible journalist/editor (if referencing a specific article, prefer the article author) |
| 2 | Editorial team email (e.g., redaktion@…) |
| 3 | Person legally responsible for website content (Inhaltlich Verantwortlicher; often listed in the imprint) |
| 4 | General email addresses (info@, service@, contact@, etc.) |
- Imprint (Impressum)
- Contact page
- Editorial or team pages
- About us pages
- Author profiles below articles
Additional Research Sources
If no suitable contact information is available on the website:
- hunter.io
- Prowly media database
- Google search for the author or editorial staff
- LinkedIn profiles of journalists or editors
Possible locations for contact information:
- Author bio
- Website editorial pages
- Contact pages
- LinkedIn
- Media databases
Current Challenge with ProwlyThe team finds Prowly difficult to use. While we switched to Prowly to have a central database instead of maintaining separate outreach sheets for every client, we now have individual media lists per client within Prowly, which:
- Feels difficult to manage
- Lacks a clear overview of contacted publishers
- Makes it hard to track follow-ups per client
Ideal Solution: A client-specific overview (knowing which publishers were contacted, where follow-ups are needed) connected to a central contact database.
- Campaign list
- Topic-specific outreach list
If contact does not exist
Create a new contact including:
- Name
- Outlet (domain.com)
- Email
- Position
Media lists organize contacts by:
- Campaign
- Topic
- Industry
- Geography
Example lists:
German Finance Journalists
Travel Editors Germany
Health Magazine Editors
Tech Journalists Austria
Phase 4 - Outreach Preparation
Before contacting journalists, preparation is required.
Creating Outreach Content
Step 1 - Draft Pitch
The elements of a pitch vary depending on the campaign type.
Linkbuilding Pitch
Example linkbuilding pitch
Key elements:
- Brief personal introduction (who I am and why I’m reaching out)
- Reference to an existing article from the publisher
- Clear request (e.g., offering to write a guest article)
- 2–3 relevant topic ideas, ideally related to the referenced article or aligned with the publisher’s website topics
- Highlight the value for the publisher (e.g., high-quality, informative article without promotional content)
When we receive a positive response, we mention in the second email that we want to link to our client’s page. The link request is not included in the initial pitch.
- Story angle
- Key insight
- Supporting data
- Expert quote
AI tools may assist with drafting.
Step 2 - Personalization
Each email should reference:
- Journalist’s previous work
- Their editorial focus
- Relevant topic alignment
Linkbuilding Personalization
For linkbuilding pitches, the 2–3 topic suggestions for the expert article are personalized for each publisher based on:
- Topics the publisher has recently covered
- The referenced article’s subject matter
- The publisher’s overall editorial focus
Digital PR Personalization
Examples:
I saw your article about housing trends and thought you might find our new study interesting.
Your recent coverage of sustainable travel aligns well with our client’s expertise in eco-tourism.
Step 3 - Supporting Materials
Outreach may include:
- Study results
- Graphics
- Data summaries
- Expert quotes
Phase 5 - Outreach Execution
The outreach process follows a structured flow.
Sending the Outreach Email
Steps:
- Finalize pitch
- Copy email template
- Personalize introduction
- Send email
Tools used:
- Email client
- Outreach platform
After outreach:
- Add contact to database
- Tag campaign
- Record outreach status
Current Tagging System in Prowly
The only way to record contacts after outreach is by adding the tag:
YYYY_Client (e.g., 2026_ClientName) - applied only if the person has been contacted.
Limitation: This tagging system is not ideal for tracking outreach status, follow-ups, or campaign progress. The previous outreach list system was easier to track and record contacts.Feedback requested from the team on potential alternatives.
- Contacted
- Response received
- Follow-up required
- Published
- Declined
Phase 6 - Follow-Up Management
Journalists often respond after reminders.
Typical follow-up schedule:
| Timing | Action |
|---|
| Day 7 | First follow-up |
| Day 14 | Second follow-up |
| Day 21 | Final follow-up |
Response Handling
Possible outcomes:
Positive Response
Linkbuilding Campaigns
After a positive response:
- Mention that we want to include a link to our client’s website (this is not included in the initial pitch)
- Ask for the publisher’s writing guidelines
- Ask for their preferred topic (if multiple ideas were suggested and they haven’t chosen one)
- If the publication is not free, ask about their conditions/pricing
- Negotiate terms if necessary
- Optionally, offer financial compensation as an additional incentive (depends on individual assessment and available budget)
Digital PR Campaigns
Actions:
- Provide additional information
- Share quotes or data
- Coordinate publication timing
Neutral Response
Actions:
- Clarify pitch
- Offer additional insights
No Response
Actions:
- Follow-up email
- Re-evaluate pitch
Publication Monitoring
Once coverage is published:
- Record article in Digital PR-Veröffentlichungen
- Record in Productive Expenses (if financial compensation was agreed upon)
- Check backlink
- Save URL
- At the end of the campaign, report backlinks/publications to the client in a PDF file
Data Management
Contacts and campaigns must be tracked.
Current Tracking (Prowly)
Currently, the only tracked information is whether a publisher has been contacted, using the tag YYYY_Client.
| Field | Description |
|---|
| Name | Journalist name |
| Outlet | Domain (e.g., example.com) |
| Email | Contact email |
| Position | Role at publication |
| Tag | YYYY_Client - indicates contacted |
Limitation: Specific dates for first contact or follow-ups are not currently tracked. A dedicated tool or sheet for tracking outreach timelines would be helpful for managing follow-ups and campaign progress.
Target Relevance
Always prioritize:
- Journalists covering the topic
- Relevant editorial departments
Avoid generic outreach.
Personalization
Every pitch should reference:
- Journalist work
- Publication focus
- Current topic relevance
Story Value
Digital PR Campaigns
Journalists care about:
- New insights
- Exclusive data
- Clear angles
Linkbuilding Campaigns
Publishers care about:
- Topic relevance to their audience
- Topics they haven’t already covered
- High-quality, informative content
Relationship Building
Successful Digital PR depends on:
- Long-term journalist relationships
- Trust and reliability
- High-quality information
Common Challenges
Often:
- Articles lack author contact
- Editors change roles
- Contact information outdated
Solutions:
- Use multiple sources (website, hunter.io, LinkedIn, media databases, editorial pages)
- Periodically verify contact details (every 6–12 months) to keep information up to date
Low Response Rates
Possible causes:
- Weak story angle
- Overly generic pitch
- Wrong contact
Time-Intensive Research
Contact research is one of the most manual parts of Digital PR.
Opportunities for Automation
Tedi Digital PR tools may automate:
- Journalist discovery
- Topic clustering
- Email personalization
- Outreach tracking
- Media database building
- Central contact database with client-specific views - replacing Prowly with a solution that combines a central contact database with per-client campaign tracking and follow-up overviews
Summary
Digital PR at Evergreen Media follows a structured workflow:
- Client understanding
- Topic generation
- Contact research
- Outreach campaign
- Follow-ups and monitoring
The success of a campaign depends heavily on:
- Strong story angles
- Accurate journalist targeting
- Personalized outreach
Author: Adnan Ali