For decades, “coverage” was public relations’ raison d’être. Brands published press releases and built relationships with big media institutions, all in effort to have their news appear in widely syndicated publications.
Those tactics are still valuable, but PR is changing. As audiences increasingly gravitate toward social media, people are driving the conversation about brands rather than the other way around. For brands that embrace these changes, social media enables a more relevant, participatory PR. Thankfully, it’s a highly effective PR, too
Social media encourages two-way conversations
Everyone is a publisher. Brands publish content, but so do their audiences. And since audiences have just as much power as brands to influence discussions on social media, brands absolutely must participate in ongoing, public conversations about relevant topics. It’s a two-way street.
A good example is Intel, which engages in ongoing Twitter conversations with people who tweet at or about the company. Having these conversations humanizes the Intel brand, a difficult task when you consider that Intel is fundamentally a chip-making company that sells microelectronic components to other businesses.
As a result of embracing social media’s two-way conversation format, Intel delivers a more human PR built upon grassroots interaction. Remember when PR felt like companies were shouting at you from atop a podium? Well, PR isn’t like that anymore, and Intel gets it.
Influencers shape perceptions and actions
Whether due to their blogs, books, or social media activity, influential individuals are better positioned than ever to attract large online audiences. In many cases, statements by influencers cast a wider net and command a greater impact on buying decisions than coverage from established media publications. Brands should stay aware of the biggest influencers in their respective industry and actively reach out to them.
Consider a bank that just developed an innovative loan program for small businesses. Besides creating and syndicating press releases about the new program, the bank engages in the following PR activities:
- Identifying influential individuals whose blog posts and Twitter presence reach substantial numbers of small business owners
- Alerting influencers via tweets, LinkedIn messages, or emails that its new program can benefit the influencers’ audiences
In many cases, influencers can get the word out faster than traditional media sources. Waiting for a media contact to clear things with the editorial staff, draft an article, revise it, and submit it for publication can take days or weeks. By contrast, a tweet or status update might take just a few seconds to compose.
Online reviews give everyone a voice
Sometimes, the buzz on social media doesn’t work in brands’ favor. Thankfully, the channel’s two-way nature gives those brands the opportunity to turn things around.
Imagine you’re the communications manager for an IT services company. A client just experienced two hours of downtime and couldn’t get a technician to come out and address the problem right away. After service returns, a user lodges a complaint on the company’s Facebook page. Here are two ways the company could react:
1. If the company doesn’t spend much time engaging its audience on Facebook, the negative review could sit there for everyone to see. No response. No reconciliation.
2. The company could publish a public response that includes an apology, explanation, and explains how technicians ultimately solved the problem.
The second option addresses the criticism head on. As a result, existing customers regain some of their lost confidence while future customers see the company as empathetic and responsive to problems. As a social, PR-savvy brand, you’ll be in a good position to transform negative reviews into positive publicity.
This post was first published here by Sheila Kloefkorn
