Welcome companies, PR folks and marketers to the New Media PR blog! This blog will routinely speak to PR people, but undoubtedly the ideas will be of equal interest to anyone responsible for communications strategies on the web and in traditional media.
With the ever-changing communications landscape, the PR 2.0 firms that are nimble and adapt to the demands of the times will have an expanded skill set that will make them indispensable to their clients.
The way I see it, a PR professional becomes the trusted confidant in the C-suite when he understands the company’s positioning in the marketplace and articulates that value so well that the firm gains media coverage. From my experience this trust does not come easily, it is hard earned.
Great PR people develop an intuitive sense of strategy at the intersection of industry trends, newsworthy story angles, timeliness, and expert knowledge. This sixth sense captures readers – whether they are reporters, bloggers or web visitors. It is a valuable tool that is sharpened with use over time.
So … who better than a PR person to lead a business into the world of new media? And, certainly we want a thoughtful synergy between a company’s social media strategies and their traditional public relations campaigns… right?
The accomplished PR 2.0 professional often possesses the best insight into how to design a comprehensive, integrated communications plan. Clients win when they consciously move into the conversation online while also leveraging and adapting public relations concepts that are appropriate in that setting. It is this overarching strategy that ties the tactics together and creates powerful results for clients.
PR friends, I hope you hear my vote of confidence! However, to take this task on, PR professionals new to social media and Web 2.0 optimization may have to stretch themselves and learn the following:
- The basic principles of search engine optimization
- The concept that “your brand online is only as good as your Google search results”
- How to use the tools of social media and the individual cultures of each social
- networking site
- The distinct and separate voices of public relations communications versus that of the conversation of social media
- How content becomes the fuel for the social media engine
- The opportunities for your clients to become publishers of content across the web
- The role of SEO in reputation management
- The fact that RSS feeds and widgets are a PR person’s best friend
I’ve been stretching in these areas, and feel more “in shape” as a PR professional, but the reality is – that it is a constant process – with new media tools, ever-changing Google algorithms, new social networking sites, metrics, etc. So let’s help each other and share our learning here!
This blog will explore the world of new media, share tips, uncover resources and encourage discussion on how PR professionals can take their practices to the next level.
Who wants to chime in first?
2 Responses to “First Post”
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I agree with you in that new media will inevitably take PR to a whole new level of integrated message dissemination. New media is everywhere today, whether it be checking statuses on Facebook or Twitter accessed by cell phone, listening to updated podcasts and video on an iPod, or online social media network cruising. When considering the influence that new media has recently had on society, one question comes to mind. Will new media completely replace traditional media in the future? Would this have a positive or negative impact on the practice of public relations? Can a balance between old and new media be reached in order to maximize on the benefits of each and create an even better world of communication than the one in which we currently live?
Certainly, I think new media will continue to expand, but don’t think that traditional media will disappear completely. Vocus just put out a whitepaper entitled 2010 State of the Media that discusses the evolution of media and PR – that you will probably enjoy reading. Personally, I think readers want a thoughtful reporter or journalist to research, screen and test information before it appears in an article. Some bloggers dig in and provide valuable content of that type, but many are expressing opinions based upon personal experience vs. unbiased information finding. I think the quality of the content, whether from blogger or reporter, is the key. With 293 newspapers folding in 2009 and 1,126 (print & online) magazines disappearing last year, the shakeout will be around the match of content to audiences – in my mind. I think major national publications and local, niche papers will survive – even though they will have to adapt and be innovative. So, PR practitioners will likely need to have a foot in both worlds. The balance between traditional media and new media is already occurring as reporters blog, explore multimedia and gather news online using social media. Also, it appears that bloggers who gain a big following often take their task more professionally. The old and new media worlds do seem to be merging – for the “better world of communications” as you phrased it. That’s my perspective … what’s yours?