Social media has been revolutionizing the way people do everything and public relations is no exception. It has changed the way PR practitioners approach their craft, and has fostered an environment where public relations can be more than press releases and media kits.
Social media gives PR practitioners an easy way of communicating with people and an opportunity to reach publics they may not have had access to in the past. By joining relevant groups and discussion boards on sites like Facebook and Reddit, they can introduce their client’s product to the people that would be most likely to use it. Groups and discussions like these also give practitioners an opportunity to see what the public is saying about their client and inform ways to respond to them. The conversation about a client can be monitored, controlled, and added to by the client themselves. Rather than reaching consumers through consumer-facing material, the interaction can be direct and genuine which increases trust in the company.
Nowadays, it is not uncommon to receive a message from someone via Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, or any other social media platform. PR practitioners can use these methods to reach out to all of their target audiences. People appreciate connecting on social media to keep in touch. It gives them a way to stay in constant communication without even necessarily communicating directly. Not only does this include journalists, but potential spokespeople, or the up and coming social media connoisseurs known as “influencers.”
Companies will often reach out to people on their preferred platforms to see if they would like to be an “ambassador” or “collaborator” for the brand. These high-profile Twitter or Instagram users use their platforms to reach thousands, sometimes millions, of people. Working with influencers helps connect the client to large groups of people in a different and interesting way. One Instagram post or story mentioning a company reaches all of their followers and makes them want to use the product that company is offering because their favorite influencer is using it. This is another example of social media drastically changing the way public relations is done.
These are just a few, simple examples of how public relations is changing in the presence of social media. It may be overwhelming at first, but it can be incredibly useful for many companies. We can help you use social media with your company. For more information on what Kovak-Likly can do for your organization, please call (203) 762-8833.
