Online PR is the process of influencing media and changing perceptions of a given topic or brand through Internet channels. Some of these channels are blogs, search engines, news stories, forums, discussions and social networks. Brand reputation monitoring and response is another key focus for online public relations.

Offline PR has the same role for influencing and changing perceptions, but mainly through the more conventional channels of TV, radio, newspapers and events.

Both offline and online PR complement one another and the marketing mix, but both have particular skills and approaches which are quite different.

For example, when contacting a TV journalist with a potential story, you can gauge from forward planning desks what is on their calendar and adjust the story to match the editorial focus. However, when you approach a blogger, you have to have careful knowledge of their topic, know their work and not haphazardly try and pitch inappropriate content.

In the same way when you approach any journalist, if you do it in a sloppy way, you can be very publicly ridiculed.

Also see this article: Which PR tactics are right for my business