Is Social Media the new PR?

So, unless you've been hiding under a rock for the past decade, I’m sure you’ll have noticed the revolution of the internet, the media and in general almost all aspects of life, by social networking. It is now a must-have tool for everyone from teenagers, to huge business corporations, to small private businesses. Everyone is clambering to jump aboard the Twitter train, or hop on to the Facebook express. And it’s no surprise why, with the huge benefits of free advertising to an audience of billions of users and almost limitless potential.

However with the ever growing presence of social media, one must pose the question… Does it have the potential to make the role of a PR practitioner redundant?

One negative of the power of social media, is the threat of bad reviews reaching a much larger audience. Whereas previously an unsatisfied customer could potentially speak to friends and complain, they would possibly only have the power to influence the opinions of a handful of people. Nowadays, a facebook status, tweet, negative blog or even instagram picture can catch the attention of thousands of people in a matter of seconds. Companies need to not only be prepared for such an instance, but also have procedures in place that can sufficiently assess and manage this crisis in a swift and effective manner. For example, Nando’s restaurant has been known to offer money off vouchers in previous occasions to one Twitter user who posted a bad review of the food and service and was retweeted by a large number of people. They were then seen as gracious and respectable, and therefore their reputation was not permanently damaged by the online criticism. 

It appears that social media has the impending threat of being as much of a hindrance as it is a help, if in the wrong hands. It pushes PR agencies to become much more present and integrated within the company, as it requires constant maintenance and supervision. But does this mean that it’s all bad?

There are definite positives of the ever growing emergence of social media to the Public Relations industry! It has been argued that social media networks are in fact easing the responsibility of PR teams, as it allows them to take an active role in communicating to the public and removes the ‘middle man’ of print media. It allows the potential to release one’s own press release in the exact manner it is intended and at the most strategic time.

“To say that social media has revolutionized the public relations field is a bit of an understatement. In the past there were two ways to influence your target markets, either through advertising, which lacked credibility, or via the media, which provided credibility but little control. Getting a journalist to tell your story meant letting them tell it their way, which didn’t always benefit your organization. However, with the advent of social media, organizations can reach more influencers – directly and at a lower cost – than ever before.” - Ann Willets, Utopia Communications

But Tom Malcolm, head of consumer at Diffusion, argues that “There are huge opportunities there, but the 24/7 scrutiny brings new threats, too. The key is to have a strategy: think carefully about the resources you have and how you can keep control of any conversations you begin. Anyone can set up a Twitter or LinkedIn account, but you need a strategy to make it a success. If you treat social media as a key part of your PR and wider business strategy you can achieve real business results.”

Elements of social networking can be argued to be both positives and negatives for PR agencies. But overall, I believe that it can be taken as a good thing. It opens doors for easier, cheaper and more precise communication than has ever been seen before. Although it does require skills, training and creativity that are more commonly found in a media or IT team, it is a significant tool for Public Relations Practitioners and will be around for a long time yet. So it seems we better to get used to it!

Thanks for reading, over and out.