Social Media: Breaking the Barriers of Traditional PR

It is undeniable that social media has revolutionized the way society communicates and shares information. Americans spend an average of 6.9 hours each month on social networks—more than double the time they spent social networking in 2006. It is even more remarkable how social media has become a habitual part of everyday life; 22% of Facebook users log in severaltimes a day, making social media one of the most influential platforms for reaching the public.

Thus, not surprisingly, social media—by providing a brand with the opportunity to make a direct connection with its audience without the filter of the media—plays an integral role in public relations strategies. According to thedrum.com, “Social media cuts across channels and is all about engaging with individuals, holding conversations not relying on press releases and launches.”  Social media provides a greater control over the messages directed at a brand’s audience.

Traditionally, marketing has been a monologue. As a result of mass social media usage, it is now a two-way conversation between brands and consumers. Thus, to survive, brands must be interactive and authentic; not only via their Facebook page, but also in all their communication with both consumers and the press. Recognizing this revolution in the way we communicate, companies must transform their PR strategies in order to reach their target audience.

As PR professionals, we facilitate a 24/7 conversation in order to get the desired message across and to engage the public. In return, we are able to receive continuous feedback, explore what truly engages our audience, and quickly respond to any criticism. However, along with these great opportunities that social media provides comes the responsibility of constant managing and monitoring to ensure the safety of a brands reputation.

When examining how social media has altered public relations, it is important to acknowledge how social media has changed journalism and the way consumers look for information. (Lets face it, in the new digital age, you are more likely to hear of breaking news via your Twitter feed than by turning on your television or by flipping through a hard copy of a newspaper). More than half of Americans receive some form of local news through their mobile device. Journalists are now turning to social media to capture the attention of their readers and strive to do so in 140 characters or less.

Social media has contributed to the changing dynamic of the Publicist/Journalist relationship. No matter how eye-catching, creative, and well timed a pitch may be, there is always a chance it will go overlooked in a horde of emails. A more operative way for an up and coming brand to reach an editor, reporter, or blogger is to connect with them through various social media channels. At miamore communications, we recently pitched to an editor who had blogged about potential article topics. This resulted in the placement of two of our clients. While an editor may be overwhelmed with the traffic in his/her inbox, they may be more likely to respond to a tweet. In fact, many journalists actively use social media to post queries and gather information.

So, what does the future hold? We feel that blogger outreach will become just as important as traditional journalist outreach, especially for specific industries. While mass social platforms will continue to be relevant, niche, industry specific networks will prove to be a more effective arena for brands to connect with consumers. Just as email transformed modern communication just a couple of decades ago, we predict that social media will become a principal form of interaction over the next few years.

Lessons in PR: Communication isn't simple

Communication. Pretty simple word. But pretty tricky business. Ever tried to communicate to a family member, friend or significant other how they hurt your feelings in a tense situation, only to have it backfire? Okay, now that 99% of you are nodding, I’ll get on to my point…

Everyone, it seems lately, thinks they are “PR experts”. But public relations isn’t about having a lot of friends or throwing fun parties. It is about expert communication, especially with the press (and, in this age, on social media). I find myself, almost daily, cringing at PR faux pas—from basic to potentially fatal.

While hiring a professional to represent your brand is the best way to avoid this sort of deadly foot-in-mouth syndrome, I understand that this is often cost-prohibitive. If that’s the case for your company, there are some basic PR/communication rules that I drill into my staff and interns daily, and that I happily share. From me to you: lessons learned thanks to my 10+ years’ experience interviewing thousands of designers, politicians and retailers as journalist; 3+ years as a publicist giving press interviews and representing brands on social media… but, mostly, thanks to my relentless journalism professors at the University of Connecticut.

1. Fact check. Think you know how to spell the proper name of an organization or person? 98% of the time, you’re probably right. You do. The problem is the other 2% of the time. If I spelled a proper name wrong on a college journalism project, my journalism professors would make me write it correctly, by hand, 500 times. Actually, it may have been less than 500; but having spent a couple nights sitting in the dorm lounge writing a name over and over until my hand ached: I still double check the names of even clients I’ve worked with for years.
2. Listen. As a reporter, I learned the most in interviews when the interviewee suddenly went off on a tangent in response to an innocent question… often revealing more than I ever imagined asking. This is a basic of any business communication: listen carefully to the question before opening your mouth. Example: I once served on a non-profit board and, when I hadn’t received end-of-year financial reports, I asked the executive director for them. The executive director’s reply was shockingly angry and defensive. How dare I accuse her of misappropriation of funds? Well, actually, that hadn’t crossed my mind. But once she threw it out there, told me to call her lawyer, and told everyone within earshot that I’d made such an accusation; it definitely crossed my mind (and everyone else’s). Enough said.
3. Condense. Short is, indeed, sweet. Say what you have to say. Then wait an hour and go back to edit. In PR, wordiness has always been a cardinal sin. Today, it’s deadly for a publicist or any business person. Who among us isn’t suffering from information overload? Case in point: The average attention span of someone opening an email? 8 seconds. The average attention span of a goldfish? 9 seconds. Need I say more?

When a Tweet Isn't at All Sweet

Integrating social media outreach into public relations strategies is a major part of my business. As such, Twitter is among the tools I routinely recommend, especially to small businesses. Like any medium, Twitter has benefits and drawbacks. And, while I'm confident the former outweigh the latter, I have my moments when Twitter makes me a little loony. 

Here's my highly technical recommendation to those who are starting to use or are considering using, Twitter as part of their business: don't be annoying. 

I speak here to newbies, as I find I am most often asked: "How do I Twitter"? Well, to start, avoid these three major Twitter offenses (and if you disagree, I'd love to hear feedback, as we're all navigating a new s.m. world)...

1) Tweeting for the sake of tweeting. Yes, it is vital to be authentic and genuine, so sharing non-biz related tweets is important. But balance is key. If you're tweeting 12 times a day to update on every errand you ran and chore you did, or if you post 14 random quotes or 32 links to favorite songs--essentially tweeting for the sake of tweeting--I say one thing: Please, stop. You might have 1,000 followers, but there's a chance 800 of them are just too lazy to un-follow you.

2) Saying the same thing over and over and over (and over...). Promoting yourself is great, but find a relevant new way to communicate your message. Link to a news story or blog post, or find others who share or support your mission and give props. Really: if your followers didn't respond the first 400 times you told them the exact same thing, chances are they won't the 401st time, either. 

3) Holding personal conversations in public. @JohnDoe is a great tool to foster a personal connections on Twitter. But once you and John Doe are connected and want to have an extensive conversation, be kind and take it to another place so your followers don't have to scroll and scroll and scroll through your personal communication. 

While Twitter and other social media are new and unknown for many, remember: when you boil these down to their essence, they are simply ways to communicate. That being the case, the same rules of apply here as they do in any form of communication: Don't be pushy, think before you speak, listen carefully and, most of all: be considerate of others.