Comments on: Making the case for social media in PR

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By: Persuasive Picks for the week of 09/01/08 : PerkettPRsuasion - The PerkettPR Blog

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:24:35 +0000

[...] Making the case for social media in PR Shannon Paul knocks another one out of the park with this great post on stepping back from the hype of social media tools and getting back to basic communication. [...]

By: shannonpaul

shannonpaul — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:50:55 +0000

Thanks everyone for such thoughtful comments. They’re a lot of fun to read! I apologize for my delay in responding, but I’ve been very busy lately and I didn’t want to be too hasty in my replies. Forgive?

@ari – Sage advice – “Communication is about the receiver, not the sender.” Always good to remember.

@Rick – I agree that research and strategy should indicate the tools, not vice versa… you don’t pick up a hammer and walk around looking for something to use it on, right?

@tina, @ceris62, @the_ten_minute_manager Thanks so much for sharing your experience — I think we’re all trying to figure things out as we go along — I know I definitely fit into that category.

@Carri – You may be right in your assessment of *most* marketers, but I’m sure they’ll learn their lesson soon enough. Howeer, plenty of us are involved in social networks and are trying our best to figure things out before rushing to the scene with a big pitch. We’ll still be here, right?

@Jason – I’m very aware that social media is dependent on technology, but for most people who are completely uninvolved in social networks, the tools (no matter how impressive) are something that puts many off. Or, worse, makes them feel threatened. Often the response to being threatened is to pretend you “get it”. Many people feel the need to pretend they get it and that only puts off true understanding.

If you wait and introduce the technology *after* they understand the actual need for the technology, they’re much more apt to understand how it can best be used.

@AmberNaslund – I’m so glad you came by to comment! I love your insight and I think you make a very good point that the tools will continue to evolve and change. That’s just one more reason to focus on “why” and developing a good strategy.

@talktourism Thanks and please keep me posted on your success – feel free to drop me a line anytime at shannonpaul5 [at] gmail [dot] com.

@Matt If the long answers are also good answers, then it makes sense, but if the long answers are just another form of “tap dance,” then I can’t get on board whether or not the client will bite.

I hope that by participating in social media, marketers like us are providing a resource for potential clients to develop a solid B.S. meter when it comes to assessing whether a strategy is good or not.

@ngwright You make some very good points. I agree that engaging in existing networks is often the best way to go and that a diverse strategy across different kinds of media is necessary. I think we’re still in a transition phase and often multiple levels of engagement are necessary.

By: ngwright

ngwright — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 06:35:35 +0000

Great post. As a lot of people have commented, I totally agree with your description of social media as a tool that may not always be best for a given situation. It is simply a means to connect with a potential audience. It has very little power in creating that audience. That is the role of the receivers. They are the ones who are able to spread that message, often across existing networks. I constantly talk to people through work who are still not even on the internet and ask that I communicate with them by mail. When your audience is diverse, your methods have to be comprehensive and often across different kinds of media. And you have to accept that there are limitations.

By: the_ten_minute_manager

the_ten_minute_manager — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 01:44:21 +0000

Great comments all! This is not a new format to some but a very new format to others. Look at the numbers, in my opinion, even if you are not 100% correct in your assessment of a clients needs, this has to be a part of the mix. Not all of the mix, but, at the very least, part of it. I have just been engaged in blogging and facebook, my space, youtube for a very short period, a month or two at best, and the participation numbers are staggering to say the least. We can never fully be ahead of any new medium but we should get in front of as much of the people flow as possible early on and learn on the go. If not, you risk being left behind. Just look at this site, 18 million people, plus or minus, and I had no idea this existed a month ago. Am I an expert, far from it, but I am involved and learning every day.

By: Matt Hames

Matt Hames — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:24:08 +0000

It comes down to this: what can you offer that a 14-year-old kid in their mom’s basement can’t. Short answer is, the thing you do with FB page after it’s live. Long answer is it depends. The longer the answer though, the better chance the client will bite regardless of whether you’re in PR or a former copywriter turned social media fella.

By: talktourism

talktourism — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:06:33 +0000

Yes! Social Media is a challenge for us all and I find many of your comments very interesting. Many companies within the tourism sector for example have been relatively slow to adapt, with the exception of the airlines and the internationally branded hotel chains. I have been busy working with Small Tourism businesses in Ireland and have been introducing them to the opportunities that social media presents. Its not a success story yet, but its a start.
It is a new way to communicate! Thats it! And it is fun way to get your message out to your target audience. The best of all is that you can have instant feebback from your target audience and the community becomes part of your R&D team.
I think those that collaborate with others in using social media will gain the most…
Cheers

By: ambernaslund

ambernaslund — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:01:36 +0000

Shannon – fantastic post. There’s so much to be said about approaching social media strategy from the end first: who are we trying to talk with, and what are we hoping to get out of it (for us, and for them)? Then, and only then, should we be even close to talking about the “how” part. The “why” of participating in social media is so much more important, and the tools will continue to evolve and change.

You’re absolutely right that the better question is focused on creating valuable, useful content for the community its intended to reach. Thanks for spreading the good word, and for being such a valuable and engaged member of the community!

By: Gary Moneysmith

Gary Moneysmith — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 01:32:07 +0000

Shannon:

Great post! Thanks for writing such a nice piece — on a holiday weekend nonetheless.

I concur with your suggestion not to get hypnotized by shiny new media objects. Nor is it wise to ape what others are doing just “because my competitor is doing it.”

One of my first pieces of advice to PR professionals is to understand the “long tail” of communications nowadays. Quick explanation of Long Tail here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Long_Tail

Gone are the days of a limited # of high-power media outlets (the left side of the Long Tail chart). We’re now faced with the challenge of reaching a wide range of small niches which requires a completely different approach. Enter social media — but it DOES take a plan and it IS about people.

I heard a great quote once for some army general. “If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less.”

Best,
G$

By: Lyn Mettler

Lyn Mettler — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 01:15:19 +0000

Great post! As a PR professional, I do find myself getting stuck thinking about putting up a Facebook page for a client or getting them on Twitter. But you’re right, when I think about the successes I’ve had with social media, a lot of times it has to do with the network I’ve personally developed and spread the word to. I try to share my more interesting client news by posing a question or teaser and linking to the information/site/release on Twitter, by posting on Facebook, etc. I think that does a good job of spreading the word virally and has resulted in some good blog hits and traffic for my clients. Once I posted a question on LinkedIn related to politics for a client and got an answer from a US Representative. Pretty great exposure for them.