Social media is changing the face of Public Relations (PR)

I have said time and time again, and will keep saying, "social media is changing the way we live our lives and the way we do business". This is no more apparent than in the world of PR; as social media is changing the face of PR. The boundaries PR shares with advertising and broadcasting are blurring, its traditional walls are tumbling down, allowing it to fluidly move into new territory, and in many ways we are seeing a new species of PR emerge. The rise and popularity of social media platforms has given PR a moment of great opportunity, advantage and influence; making it, I believe the medium for the age of social media.

Times have changed and the print media is no longer what it used to be. Many publications are struggling on and off line and now the PR industry is bypassing the narrow and often cranky funnel of journalism. Instead it is finding other ways to get their client's story out to a wider audience by using text-based digital content; videos; creating conversations and making their own news and headlines. This is affecting the already blighted advertising sector, plus it is giving PR agencies the chance to venture into world of news; PR companies will become more like news bureaus as they will continue to increase their broadcasts.

Social media is forcing every business to think of itself as a media company, engaging with its customers and telling their own stories not just through websites but through Facebook fan pages, Twitter, Youtube and mobile applications. For a business to reach its target audience it is no longer about plugging the brand through adverts. Instead it is about engaging with consumers authentically and gaining their trust. PR now has created this great social media role for itself where it can help its clients express themselves in a way that has credibility and extensive reach - two quick brands success stories who used social media are - Coca-Cola during the 2010 World Cup, following in Disney/Pixar footsteps to reach Twitter audiences by advertising as a 'trending topic' on Twitter. In just 24 hours, Coca-Cola's first 'promoted trend' gathered 86 million impressions and an engagement rate of 6%. The other story is Starbucks, which wanted to crowd source to improve its products, services and shops. It created a social network site, 'My Starbucks', allowing customer to share their 'Starbuck experience' and now Starbucks has successfully created an on-line community where its customers wants to hang out.

Of course there will be some PR traditionalists and brands who are wary and not agile enough to embrace social media, but those that do, will stand out as passionate and authentic brands and experts, building a following and becoming influencers. The brands and professionals that get it right will be memorable because there are so many who get it wrong. As Bob Dylan famously sang...'The Times They Are a-Changin'

Photo credit: DoktorSpinn