Mashable recently interviewed a group of PR professionals to discuss the future of public relations and how they see social media changing the industry. Specifically, they tackled how social media will impact “the future of the press release, the evolution of social platforms, current limitations and solutions for those impediments, connecting with other PR pros, cost savings and building relationships.”
As PR professionals, we’ve been grappling with an ever changing landscape for some time now – publications shifting online, shrinking media staffs, the recession, etc. However social media has had, in my opinion, the biggest impact on PR. The way we disseminate information and reach target audiences has shifted dramatically with the rise of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Below are some key points and perspective from the article I thought were most interesting.
Press Releases – It’s pretty clear that the role of the traditional press release is changing. While it still has its place within a communications strategy, it’s becoming increasingly important to incorporate social elements (e.g. embedded multimedia, hyperlinks, etc.) into these releases so readers can easily share the news with other networks.
The way we distribute releases has also changed. Vice President of BLASTmedia, Lindsay Groeppersays, “When I first began my career in PR more than decade ago, we would e-mail or fax (gasp!) the full press release text to the press. What we see now is new methods of distributing the info, driven by social media. Rather than e-mailing a press release, PR people are sending journalists to custom landing pages created just for that specific announcement, contacting them via Twitter with a BUDurl link to the release, or even directing them to a YouTube video with a message from the CEO making the announcement.”
Social Media Platforms – Established social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are valued today by organizations and brands looking to directly engage with key audiences. While some of the experts interviewed in the article believe that niche, industry-specific networks will be of greater value in the future, most agree that the role of PR professionals remains the same no matter which social media platforms rise to the top.
“The most important platforms for PR pros in the future will be the ones most targeted for their clients,” said Cara Stewart, founder and principal at Remarx Media. “…PR pros have to really understand clients’ technologies, business models, services and more. Really, it’s more about PR pros becoming better PR pros and understanding their clients’ businesses, as well as what their clients do … Social media is not a one-size-fits-all solution.”
Measuring Results – We’ve recently discussed the importance of monitoring and measuring the impact of social media campaigns and initiatives. There are a variety of tools available to help facilitate this and I believe these tools will only mature over time as adoption grows.
Amanda Miller Littlejohn founder of Mopwater Social Public Relations says, “Right now, the most important tools are the broadcasting tools … But in five years, the most important tools will be the monitoring and measurement tools — the tools that can tell you what happened to your message once it got out there. [T]he tools that can demonstrate (and quickly demonstrate) return on engagement will be winners.”
Relationships Still Matter – Social media is just one tool in the PR toolbox. The name of the game is still about building and fostering relationships.
Chuck Tanowitz, founder and principal at PR and social media firm Fresh Ground says, “In truth we’re talking about the same positive PR practices that good PR people have been doing for decades.” He continued, “They read and understand their target audience, then help craft stories that speak to and with that audience.”
The message is loud and clear: social media is here to stay and PR professionals will continue to evolve their skill set to help clients and businesses best leverage these tools as part of an overarching communications strategy.