subject: Pr New York Debate: Are We Pr Firms Or Technology Firms? [print this page] With all of the hoopla associated with the growth of social media, some of us in the PR New York world have lost sight of who we are. We are public relations firms operating in the PR New York world and not technology firms as some would have it.
Whether it is PR New York or someplace else, public relations is all about creating dialogues with a clients target audience regardless of the medium employed. Believing a revolution is at hand and not wanting to miss the boat, companies will often grab at every social media vehicle available regardless of whether it makes sense or not. To be successful in your social media strategy and planning, you need to have the right people leading the effort and selecting those social media vehicles which are appropriate for your business and its target audience. The question for those of us in PR New York and elsewhere need to ask is what does the client want to accomplish and then determining the best media vehicles for achieving those objectives.
As opposed to being technology-driven, PR New York practitioners, particularly those managing social media programs need to passionate and aware, and understand how various social media vehicles work. Of course, the PR New York folks and their brethren throughout the world need to understand the value of conversation and that it functions on a two-way basis.
In todays world a 60-second news cycle, if you will -- information can be disseminated within seconds across Internet chat rooms, blogs and social channels. PR New York social media disciples have come to recognize that their clients no longer have the luxury of communicating the way they used to going through legal channels and simply putting out a statement. Thats not a conversation; it is more like a monologue. This takes the right people PR New York people as opposed to gear heads to truly understand the dialogue.
As in any campaign, whether it is orchestrated by PR New York professionals or others, research is critical. To effectively use social media, you need to understand your customers profile which will provide some good insights into where your target audience is online, how theyre using various social media channels, and how theyre being influenced in their buying decisions. More importantly, you need to understand what the conversation is all about and that continues to be the province of PR New York professionals and their counterparts throughout the world.
