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A guide to Digital PR in Germany

This guide contains everything you need to know about PR in Germany, how Digital PR manoeuvres the digital media landscape, and the best strategies for your German Digital PR campaign.

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28 min read

Report Contents

Abstract

The rise of digital PR over the last decade has transformed how brands interact with their audiences online. 

As Germany moves towards a digital-first approach, it has become a key market for brands looking to expand internationally. Germany’s unique media landscape presents marketers with a playground of opportunities, but it also comes with its own set of challenges that demand to be understood. The continued strong presence of traditional media lead to a slower adoption of digital PR in this market. However, the increasing consumption of online news and use of digital platforms emphasises the need for strategic digital PR to enhance brand visibility and engagement. 

Drawing from our own expertise working in the German market, we’ve created this guide to help brands navigate the country’s unique landscape and develop effective digital PR strategies in Germany. This guide compares media and consumer landscapes between Germany and the UK and explains how digital PR can effectively build trust, boost brand awareness, and reach target audiences. 

Additionally, we share helpful outreach tips to help you navigate Germany’s cultural nuances and take the international success of your brand to the next level.  

Understanding the German media and consumer landscape

The German media landscape

Germany’s media landscape reflects its federal structure. Divided into 16 states, including the city-states of Berlin, Hamburg, and Bremen, Germany boasts strong regional media alongside national outlets. Economic powerhouses like Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and North Rhine-Westphalia have well-established regional news sources. Similarly to the US and other European countries, there is a bigger focus on regional and localised news with fewer national giants dominating the market. While tabloids exist, they have a smaller presence compared to traditional newspapers and tend to focus on specific regions rather than national circulation. 

The consumer landscape

The Reuters report shows that for 63% of Germans, online news sites are the preferred source of information over TV and print. Throughout the Covid pandemic, social media saw a spike as a news source, however, this has since declined back to 29%. The most trusted news sources include ARD, Germany’s largest broadcasting network, as well as ZDF and a plethora of regional newspapers. Similarly to other European countries like France and Greece, 11% of Germans pay for access to online news, as some news sites may use paywalls to restrict access to certain articles. In fact, more than 2 million issues of online news are being sold every day1, that’s almost triple the sales compared to 2010. 

How can your brand benefit from a Digital PR strategy in Germany

Incorporating digital PR into your marketing strategy allows brands to gain a competitive edge in the evolving German media landscape. While traditional media remains influential in Germany, consumer habits are shifting towards online platforms. Digital PR campaigns can help build brand awareness and trust through targeted online channels. 

What can you expect in terms of results?

When it comes to link numbers, the rule of thumb in Germany is quality over quantity. The value of links you can achieve is generally high. It is not unusual to have around a third of your links or more coming from domains with a DA of 70+. Therefore, aiming high and targeting some of the biggest nationals and relevant high-quality sites can pay off and provide you with the quality results you are looking for.  

Unlike in the UK where an increasing number of outlets are switching to no-follow linking policies, German publications are generally happy to provide follow links. A ratio of approximately two thirds to one third follow-to-no-follow links is realistic. 

Content strategy: Landing success with the campaigns that work

What content works?

The type of content that works varies hugely across different niches. 

Simple concepts based on social media data (like “most Instagrammed” campaigns, TikTok hacks etc.) work well across the lifestyle sector but are not always suitable to more serious niches like business/finance or sports. Lead times also vary depending on niche, from a few hours in lifestyle to a few months in finance. Regional angles and hyperlocal data are always a bonus. A detailed blog to link back to helps to encourage journalists to include a link more than just a link to the homepage. 

What content doesn’t work?

Just like with successful content, understanding what doesn’t work in Germany varies by niche, but ultimately comes down to the media landscape, which generally favours traditional, information-rich content over sensationalism. Generally speaking, it is safe to avoid fluffy pieces, sensationalised headlines we often see in British tabloids, and clickbait, as these are seen as unprofessional and can damage relationships. Germans value well-researched and accurate information, reflecting their cultural preference for reliability over flashy content. 

Our successful campaigns

Let’s review some of our most successful campaigns. In collaboration with loveholidays, a well-known UK travel provider that recently launched in Germany, we revealed the most Instagrammed Christmas markets. The campaign achieved extensive coverage across Germany and Europe, with links in Merkur and Elle Germany. Timed with the opening of Christmas markets and focusing on regional outlets, we created numerous hyper-localised outreach angles. 

For the same client, we launched a campaign on rising ice cream prices across Europe, a relatable topic for holidaymakers. By comparing past prices and forecasting future costs, the campaign secured coverage in travel publications like Reisereporter and Expat News, and finance and business outlets such as Business Punk and Focus. 

For the finance sector we’ve seen success with survey-based campaigns, as long as the topic was trending in the news at the time, a reputable survey provider was used, and a sizable number of respondents took part in the survey. This approach secured links in sites like Handelsblatt and Starting-Up, as seen in our SumUp Germany campaign on shopper expectations. However, surveys are slower and can be costly, requiring careful budget planning. 

Outreach tips

  • The right tone of voice is crucial to building cultural rapport in different countries. Business TOV in Germany is more formal than in the UK and it is common practice to address people by last name and sign off with kind regards.  
  • German journalists tend to be inquisitive and favour fact-led content, so It’s important to include a detailed methodology that journalists can easily access, either in your press release or in your on-site content. A lack thereof may result in questions and delays that may affect the quick turn-around which is vital to ensure coverage. 
  • If you have the scope within your team to translate your content to German, doing so will elevate your chances of it getting picked up. Automatic translation tools like DeepL or different AI software have become excellent tools to use, however, whenever possible, it is always best to run the final translation past a native speaker to ensure that cultural nuances are being conveyed appropriately. 
  • It can be helpful to include a short note in your email to request a link to the original research, as in the on-site content to be added, however, if a news site covers your story you may email to request for a link to be included in the article. Doing this doesn’t always guarantee one to be added, but it does increase your chances and you will find out which news outlets do link and which do not, so you can manage expectations with your client.
  • In terms of lead times, it is important to manage expectations if you or your client are branching out to the German market, especially if they are used to UK or US lead times. Depending on your campaign topic and niche, some evergreen content can take weeks to be picked up, so don’t be disheartened if you don’t see as many results in your first week of outreach! 

Conclusion

Overall, the German Digital PR market is not as saturated as in the UK, which opens up a huge scope of untapped opportunities for brands and marketers looking to branch out into this growing market. Clever yet simple campaign concepts can lead to great results on relevant, high-DA news sites and campaigns with lots of regional angles will help you pivot to success. With Digital PR still emerging in Germany, now is the best time to get ahead of the curve and establish your brand as a trusted voice in this market.   

If you want to take your PR activity and your brand’s visibility within the German market to the next level, please get in touch with our team or find out more about our work here. 

Sources 

1 https://www.tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de/de/medien-und-kommunikation/zeitungen-und-zeitschriften 

Meet the author

Vera Staiger headshot

Vera has an academic background in journalism and a master’s degree in Public Relations & Digital Communication. Vera’s been working full-time in digital PR for five years, working on UK-based and international accounts, with focus on the DACH market due to her German background. Having worked with clients from all sorts of fields, including travel, lifestyle, retail, health, sports, finance and education, Vera loves diving into new niches and gaining expertise through creative campaigns. Vera’s hoping to use her insights to inspire creative and impactful campaigns that can drive great results.

Vera Staiger

Dach PR Lead

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