Digital PR
Digital PR is the practice of earning online media coverage, backlinks, and brand mentions through outreach to journalists, bloggers, and online publications. It combines traditional public relations tactics with SEO goals to build both visibility and domain authority.
Why does digital PR matter for fitness businesses?
Digital PR helps you earn high-quality backlinks from authoritative publications that would be difficult to acquire through standard outreach. A feature in a major fitness publication or tech blog will build awareness, but also strengthen your backlink profile.
You can also get brand mentions, which won't show up on most metric graphs, but contribute to your overall authority in the field, and make you a more trusted source of information.
What does digital PR look like in practice?
A fitness app launches original research surveying 2,000 users about workout consistency. They pitch the findings to health and fitness journalists, offering exclusive access to the data. The story gets picked up by Men's Health, Shape, and several fitness blogs. Each publication links back to the full report, earning the app 15 high-DR backlinks in one month while significantly increasing brand visibility.
What makes a successful digital PR campaign?
Newsworthy angles drive coverage. Journalists need stories their readers care about, not so much pitches that are actually thinly veiled product promotions. Original research, industry surveys, expert commentary on trends, or unique data insights are more likely to earn coverage than generic press releases.
Timing also matters here. Pitching fitness-related stories in December and January when interest peaks increases pickup rates. Tying your story to current events, trending topics, or seasonal relevance improves response rates.
Finally, we've seen that strong relationships with journalists can make it so much easier to get press coverage. Reporters who already know your brand or have covered you before are more likely to consider new pitches favorably.
How do you execute digital PR for link building?
To execute digital PR for link building:
- Create data-driven content like industry surveys, original research, or trend reports that journalists can cite and link to
- Develop newsworthy angles tied to your expertise, such as expert commentary on fitness industry developments or analysis of emerging trends
- Build a targeted media list of journalists and publications covering fitness, health, SaaS, or your specific niche
- Personalize pitches to each journalist by referencing their previous work and explaining why your story fits their audience
- Offer exclusive access or early data to top-tier publications to increase the likelihood of coverage
- Follow up strategically without being pushy, as journalists are busy and may need gentle reminders
- Track coverage and backlinks earned from each campaign to measure ROI and refine future efforts
How to talk to your agency about this
"What's our digital PR strategy for earning links from authoritative fitness, health, and wellness publications? Are we creating newsworthy content that journalists actually want to cover, or just pitching product announcements?"