After devoting the majority of my last blog entry to vacillating between praise and criticism of the evolution of PR into what I defined as PR 1.5, I started thinking about one of the key elements that is facilitating that (r)evolution – social media.
I should say that early on in my career, in the first part of the last decade when blogs began making appearances, I would often scoff at the ‘fools’ who were jumping on that bandwagon. When past bosses of mine would strongly ‘suggest’ that I start paying attention to bloggers, I did so reluctantly, certain this form of 'unregulated sensationalism' was a passing fad and would evaporate within a year. Looking back on that comment now, it seems about as insightful as the statement made by DEC founder Ken Olsen in 1977 in which he said, "There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home."
As Homer Simpson would say… D’OH!
Thus, the media as we knew it was forever changed.
Looking at the landscape now, social media is a pervasive medium. With platforms like Facebook, Blogger, TypePad, WordPress, and, yes, Twitter, everybody is now the media. The question, however, as we approach a critical mass of content from an almost endless stream of sources, is how do we break through the clutter?
Well, first things first, it may sound obvious, but PAY ATTENTION to who is talking about what, and what they are saying about it. After all, if someone is talking about your company, your competitors, and the market space overall, it is imperative that you are at least aware of those conversations, if not an active participant.
Second, BE KNOWLEDGEABLE enough to start conversations, but also know when to step back and watch how those conversations develop. A timely Twitter post about a new trending story can inspire your followers to pick up the ball and run with it, resulting in message reception of your market, company or product, links back to your page, and, ultimately, new subscribers.
Next, make your conversations INTERACTIVE. Let’s face it; people are social creatures, and they desire interactions with each other, so now that social media is more mature, use it to reach out to the people who actually WANT to interact with your company. LISTEN to comments they make about your products or services. If they have complaints or suggestions, be willing (and know how) to respond. But, also realize that sometimes the ones who are most vocal do not always represent the majority view.
Remember, discretion is the better part of valor – it is good to be brave, but it is also good to be careful.
Finally, create your stories in a conversational, authentic, human voice. Media has changed, and so should you. Leave out the overly fluffy, jargon-infused marketing crap that has been so popular with self-evangelizing companies for years, and get to the core truth about what you are selling. Honestly point out the benefits of working with your company, or buying its products, and, simply put, you will get more business.
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