Public relations used to be about press releases, press conferences and schmoozey lunches. It consisted of a mostly one-way flow of information however these days public relations is anything but.
With social media being the #1 activity online, and the reality that you are more likely to find your market on Facebook, Twitter or another social media channel rather than on your website, it is now vital to be active in the social media space.
Whilst social media can be seen as a double edged sword, with anyone being able to publish a negative or position opinion (which is instantly visible to a wide audience) about your business online, it’s ineffective for a business to put their head in the sand and avoid the social media space when it comes to reputation management.
Businesses that are not active in this landscape either are suffering, or will suffer the consequences of becoming invisible, especially when compared to already active competitors.
Even when we move past the need for reputation management, the need for social media is apparent. Where else can you build an audience, create brand awareness and recognition, connect with your audience, and offer a contact point for online support/questions and more from prospects and clients effectively?
The answer is nowhere.
Not only that but social media is the ideal distribution channel for PR. The ability to reach customers within an instant is invaluable for PR as it enables you to better manage your company’s reputation or pull the reins in on any bad publicity that may be circulating. It can also be used to announce market news, retirements, new team members, address any unfounded rumours and much more. Effective, Responsive and Powerful.
Susan Popovski, head of digital, Chris Hocking Strategies.