Glossary of Terms

Appendices and Resources

Appendix A: Glossary of Digital PR Terms

This glossary provides definitions for key terms used throughout this book. Terms marked with [DPRI] directly connect to the DPRI Method™ framework (Chapter 4).

How to Use This Glossary: Look up unfamiliar terms as you read. Cross-references help you connect concepts across chapters.

Digital PR Terms

Term Definition
Media Relations Building and maintaining connections with journalists, bloggers, and media professionals to secure positive coverage.
Press Release An announcement sent to media outlets to share news, updates, or events.
Crisis Communications Managing communication during a crisis to protect an organization's reputation.
Reputation Management Monitoring and shaping how an organization is perceived online.
Event Planning Organizing and executing events to promote a brand or product.
Spokesperson A person authorized to speak for an organization.
Influencer Outreach Finding and working with influential people to promote a brand or message.
Stakeholder Relations Managing relationships with key groups like investors, employees, and community leaders.
Internal Communications Sharing information within an organization to keep employees informed and engaged.
Executive Communications Creating and implementing communication plans for senior leaders.
Thought Leadership Establishing individuals or organizations as experts in their field.
Social Responsibility A company's commitment to ethical and sustainable practices.
Publicity Creating media coverage and public awareness for a brand or product.
Brand Management Creating and maintaining a positive brand perception.
Corporate Communications Managing all internal and external organizational communication.
Media Kit A collection of materials provided to the media to help with coverage.
Digital Storytelling Using digital tools to create narratives that connect with audiences.
Community Management Building and overseeing online communities around a brand.
Sentiment Analysis Using AI to identify whether content expresses positive, negative, or neutral attitudes.
Media Monitoring Tracking media coverage across various platforms to follow brand mentions and industry trends.
Newsjacking Using trending news topics to promote a brand or message.
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) Formatting content to appear in AI-generated answers from ChatGPT, Perplexity AI, and similar tools.
Earned Media Coverage gained through non-paid methods such as press mentions, social shares, and word-of-mouth.
Paid Media Coverage gained through paid methods such as advertisements and sponsored content.
Shared Media Content created by users or shared on social networks about a brand.
Owned Media Content and channels directly controlled by a brand, such as websites and social accounts.
PESO Model A framework organizing media into four categories: Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned.
Data-Driven PR Using data and analysis to guide PR strategies and measure results.
Conversational AI Strategy Creating communication approaches for AI assistants and voice devices.
Digital Newsroom An online center with press materials, media assets, and brand resources.
ESG Communications Messages about a company's environmental, social, and governance practices.
Podcast PR Securing guest spots or mentions on podcasts to reach target audiences.
Integrated Communications Aligning PR, marketing, and social media for consistent messaging.
Brand Purpose A company's reason for existence beyond profit-making.
PR Attribution Measuring how PR activities contribute to business goals like website traffic and sales.
Social Listening Monitoring social media for mentions of a brand, competitors, and industry trends.
Video PR Using video content for brand stories and audience engagement.
Dark Social Content sharing through private channels like messaging apps that can't be tracked by analytics.
Micro-influencers People with smaller but highly engaged social media followings (1,000-100,000).
Brandstanding Companies taking public positions on social or political issues to connect with specific audiences.
Virtual Press Events Online versions of press conferences and media events allowing global participation.
Corporate Activism A company's public support for social, political, or environmental causes.
PR Tech Stack The software tools used to execute and measure PR campaigns.
Inclusive Communications Creating messages accessible to diverse audiences and perspectives.
Trust Signals Elements that build credibility with audiences, such as testimonials and certifications.

Digital Marketing Terms

Term Definition
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Improving a website to rank higher in search results.
SEM (Search Engine Marketing) Using paid ads to increase website visibility in search results.
PPC (Pay-Per-Click) An advertising model where advertisers pay when users click their ads.
CTR (Click-Through Rate) The percentage of people who click a link after seeing it.
CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) The cost of gaining a new customer through a specific marketing channel.
SERP (Search Engine Results Page) The page shown by a search engine after a user searches.
Backlink A link from one website to another.
Anchor Text The clickable text in a hyperlink.
Domain Authority A score predicting how well a website will rank in search results.
Page Authority A score predicting how well a specific page will rank in search results.
Keyword Research Finding words and phrases people use to search for information online.
Content Marketing Creating valuable content to attract and retain a target audience.
Influencer Marketing Using endorsements from influential people on social media.
Social Media Marketing Using social platforms to connect with audiences, build brands, and drive traffic.
Online Reputation Management Shaping how an organization is seen online.
Link Building Getting other websites to link to yours.
Outreach Contacting journalists, bloggers, and influencers to build relationships.
Brand Ambassador A person hired to represent a brand positively.
Impressions How many times content is displayed, regardless of clicks.
Voice Search Optimization Adapting content for voice searches on smart speakers and mobile assistants.
AI Marketing Using artificial intelligence to automate tasks and improve marketing strategies.
Marketing Automation Using software to automate repetitive marketing tasks.
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) Increasing the percentage of website visitors who take desired actions.
Customer Journey Mapping Charting the steps a customer takes when interacting with a company.
Remarketing/Retargeting Showing ads to users who previously visited your website.
Programmatic Advertising Using automated technology to buy and sell ad space in real-time.
E-E-A-T Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness - factors search engines use to assess content quality.
Schema Markup (Structured Data) Code that helps search engines and AI systems understand webpage content.
Rich Snippets Enhanced search results with details like ratings, prices, and availability.
Zero-click Searches Queries answered directly on search results pages, eliminating the need to visit websites.
Question-Based Content Content built around common questions to appear in featured snippets and AI responses.
Core Web Vitals Metrics about speed, responsiveness, and visual stability that Google uses to rank pages.
Neural Matching AI that connects search queries with relevant content by understanding user intent.
Topic Clusters Related content grouped around a central topic to build authority.
Entity SEO Focusing on how search engines understand real-world entities rather than keywords.
Semantic Search Search methods focused on user intent and contextual meaning.
AI Content Generation Using AI to create marketing content such as articles and social posts.
Multimodal Search Searches using multiple formats like text, images, and voice together.
First-Party Data Strategy Using data collected directly from your audience with their permission.
Contextual Advertising Ads shown based on the content of the webpage being viewed.
Digital PR Link Building Earning backlinks through media coverage and content creation.
Content Atomization Breaking large content into smaller pieces for different platforms.
Micro-moments Brief moments when people turn to devices to learn, find, do, or buy something.
AI Prompting Strategy Writing effective instructions for AI systems to get useful outputs.
Cookieless Marketing Marketing without third-party cookies due to privacy changes.
Social Commerce Shopping features built into social media platforms.
UGC (User-Generated Content) Content created by users rather than brands.
Shoppable Content Content with direct purchase options through links or tags.
Customer Data Platform (CDP) Software that creates a unified customer database for personalized marketing.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Adapting content to improve visibility in AI-generated results.

AI for PR Professionals

Term Definition
RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) A method that improves AI outputs by adding relevant external information before generating responses.
Large Language Models (LLMs) AI systems trained on text data that generate human-like content and assist with PR tasks.
Generative AI Systems that create new content like text, images, audio, and video.
Prompt Engineering Creating effective instructions for AI systems to produce desired outputs.
AI Hallucinations When AI systems generate false information presented as fact.
AI Ethics Ensuring AI systems operate fairly, transparently, and beneficially.
AI Content Moderation Using AI to review and filter user-generated content automatically.
AI Content Detection Tools that identify whether content was created by AI systems.
Natural Language Processing (NLP) Technology enabling computers to work with human language.
Synthetic Media AI-created content that resembles authentic media, including deepfakes.
AI Bias Systematic errors in AI that can create unfair outcomes.
Foundation Models Large AI systems that can be adapted for various tasks.
Fine-tuning Adapting a pre-trained AI model for specific tasks or brand voice.
AI-powered Analytics Tools that use AI to process data and find useful patterns.
AI-assisted Media Monitoring Using AI to track and analyze brand mentions across media.
AI Spokesperson Virtual representatives that interact with the public through text, voice, or video.
Prompt Injection When users manipulate AI with carefully crafted inputs to bypass restrictions.
Computer Vision Technology that helps machines interpret visual information.
Knowledge Graphs Structured data showing relationships between pieces of information.
AI Transparency Making AI operations clear and understandable to users.
Responsible AI Developing and using AI ethically, fairly, and accountably.
AI Governance Rules and policies guiding how AI systems operate.
Multimodal AI Systems that work with multiple types of data (text, images, audio) simultaneously.
Few-shot Learning AI capability to learn new tasks with minimal examples.
AI-powered Personalization Using AI to customize content for individual users.
AI Crisis Simulation Using AI to test potential crisis scenarios and responses.
Semantic AI Systems that understand meaning and context beyond keywords.
AI Content Calendars Tools that optimize content scheduling based on audience behavior.
AI-enabled Sentiment Analysis Advanced tools that detect nuanced emotions in audience responses.
Term Definition
Generative AI AI systems that create new content based on training data.
Metaverse Marketing Brand presence and engagement in virtual worlds.
NFT Marketing Using Non-Fungible Tokens for brand experiences and community building.
Web3 A new internet version based on blockchain with decentralization and user ownership.
Augmented Reality (AR) Marketing Adding digital content to the real world through mobile devices or glasses.
Virtual Reality (VR) Experiences Simulated environments for product demos and brand stories.
Digital Twins Virtual copies of physical products or systems for testing and customer experience.
Spatial Computing Merging physical and digital worlds for 3D interaction.
Ambient Computing Computing built into everyday environments without explicit interaction.
Voice Commerce Shopping through voice assistants and smart speakers.
AI-powered Personalization Using machine learning for individualized content and experiences.
Blockchain for Brand Trust Using blockchain to verify authenticity and build consumer trust.
Visual Search Searching with images rather than text.
Synthetic Media AI-generated content that mimics real media.
Hyper-automation Combining multiple technologies to streamline marketing operations.

Measurement & Analytics

Term Definition
Share of Voice (SOV) The percentage of media coverage or conversations a brand has compared to competitors.
Media Impact Value (MIV) A monetary value assigned to media placements based on quality and reach.
Earned Media Value (EMV) A dollar value assigned to organic media exposure.
Sentiment Score A number representing how positive or negative content is.
Net Promoter Score (NPS) A measure of customer loyalty and likelihood to recommend.
Attribution Modeling Methods for tracking how different touchpoints contribute to sales.
Brand Lift Increased consumer perception or action resulting from marketing activities.
Engagement Rate How actively users interact with content through likes, comments, and shares.
Impression Share The percentage of possible impressions your content actually received.
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) The total cost of gaining a new customer.
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) The total worth of a customer throughout their relationship with a business.
Brand Health Metrics Key performance indicators measuring brand performance and perception.
Predictive Analytics Using past data and algorithms to forecast future outcomes.
Multitouch Attribution Assigning value to multiple touchpoints in the customer journey.
AMEC Integrated Evaluation Framework A model for planning and measuring communication programs developed by the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication.

Privacy & Compliance

Term Definition
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) EU regulations for data protection and privacy.
CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) California law giving consumers more control over their personal information.
Data Privacy Shield Frameworks for regulating personal data transfers across borders.
Privacy by Design Including privacy from the start in systems and products.
Consent Management Systems for obtaining and tracking user permission for data collection.
Data Minimization Collecting only necessary data for specific purposes.
Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs) Tools that protect personal data while allowing its use.
Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) A process to identify and reduce privacy risks in data processing.
Privacy Sandbox Google's project to develop privacy-friendly advertising technologies.
Data Clean Room A secure space where data from multiple sources can be analyzed without direct sharing.

DPRI Method™ Core Terms

The following terms are central to this book's framework:

Term Definition See Chapter
DPRI Method™ The Digital PR Integration framework that maps 11 PR Activities to 22 Digital Terms, creating 726+ measurable correlations. Chapter 4
The 4-Hour Window The critical response time for crisis communication in the digital age. First public statement within 4 hours prevents narrative loss. Chapter 22
The Human Premium The unique value humans provide in an AI-augmented world: judgment, relationships, cultural sensitivity, ethical decision-making. Chapter 31
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) Optimizing content to appear in AI-generated answers (ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc.), not just search results. Chapter 35
The Reputation Crisis Response Playbook™ A systematic framework for crisis detection, response, and recovery. Chapter 17
The Social Intelligence System™ An integrated approach to social listening, response protocols, and measurement. Chapter 18
PR Stunt Planning Framework™ The 3V Assessment (Visual, Viral, Values) for evaluating PR stunts before execution. Chapter 45

DPRI CONNECTION

This glossary supports the entire book:

How This Glossary Relates to AEO: In an AI-driven world, consistent terminology matters more than ever. When AI systems answer questions about Digital PR, they pull from sources that use clear, consistent definitions. This glossary helps you—and the AI systems that will increasingly summarize your work—speak the same language.