Social Media Impact On PR And How Professionals Are Adopting And Using Social

The widespread use of social media has essentially transformed the medium through which people communicate and in turn, share information. According to recent data from researches, Facebook now accounts for 12.3 percent of the time spent online in the U.S. versus 7.2 percent just a year ago. Twitter now counts approximately 200 million accounts and over 110 million tweets per day. This has churned out a multitude of information that various verticals including Public Relations have capitulated on. The masses’ downright addiction to social media has made a long-lasting impact in industries as companies seek to create foolproof strategies to engage on the social web. Public relations (PR) are certainly no exception as the inclusion of social media into PR practices has armed organizations with the following advantages:

• Rapidity in sharing: The speed of information disseminated is faster than older methods and PR professionals have access to a wealth of content that can be rapidly shared with interested audiences. Tools such as creating a simple keyword-based search on Twitter can connect companies with people at the apt time to serve as a helpful resource. By engaging proactively, PR teams can create unprecedented opportunities while creating a favorable brand impression, leading to an emergence of positive recognition.
• More direct contact with people: Social media facilitates interaction with customers through a direct path.  With the various marketing tools available through platforms like Facebook, custom made marketing can be devised, specifically targeted towards a unique customer base. The beauty of these platforms is- the more you interact with your target audience, the more your social media posts will be seen by your audience. This proves to be a cost-saving way to reach your audience, in an effortless manner.
• Creating unique and engaging content: The hunger for unique, tailor-made, engaging content, is increasing on a daily basis fuelled by the rise of mediums such as Twitter. With the ease of opening an account on any number of social media platforms, alongside creating a buzz-worthy blog, organizations are hunting for unprecedented stories that create a bond with their audience. This kills the formation of formulaic stories disseminated to every journalist for use, creating a rise for fresh content that is a cut above the rest the entire. PR professionals are creating trending material that the world can start sharing, resulting in unpaid, organic publicity.
• Integrating services: Gone are the days when most PR firms stuck strictly to their niches as the current world because social media comprises so many elements beyond that of PR’s capacity.  This brand of multifunctionality is forcing different PR firms to broaden the scope of their organizations and integrate a variety of professionals such as advertising people, digital marketing people, and big data specialists into their teams, providing a well-thought, complete package for their customers. The world of PR has risen to be a place where interdependence leads to a profitable tenure for all parties involved.

Conclusion Although, it might take a while to get acquainted with, utilizing social media for PR may be the best bet one can have at striking gold in the current news-and-follow centric market.   Tags: Content strategy, Digital media landscape, Counter negative PR