Social Media & PR#MC4002 Lecture 1

Where do Social Media (tools) fit in?

More Than Words: How to Really Redefine the Term “Public Relations”

PRSA’s “current definition of PR – “public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other” was last updated in 1982, before Twitter, before Facebook, hell, even before you had a computer at your desk.”

“Before the rise of social media, public relations was about trying to manage the message an entity was sharing with its different audiences. Now, P.R. has to be more about facilitating the ongoing conversation in an always-on world.” - Adam Lavelle

“PR practitioners have gotten lazy, hiding behind words and messages instead of building actual relationships.”

ow.ly/sysdx 

8 actions: part of the new definition of public relations

1. Instead of spamming my email pitches to massive distribution lists, I will put in more than ten seconds of effort and personalize it to the reporter/blogger/writer/anchor/editor I’m contacting.

2. I will learn how to speak with an actual human voice instead of the voice of mission statements, brochures, and marketing pitches.

3. I will not forget the relations in public relations and will try to develop real relationships with the members of the media I work with instead of treating them like pawns that can be manipulated.

4. I can no longer be the man behind the curtain, ghostwriting messages and press releases while I hide behind my brand or organization. I will take responsibility for my strategies and tactics.

5. Regardless of my age, I will recognize that keeping up with and understanding technology is now a job requirement.

6. Likewise, I will stop assuming that social media IS public relations and vice versa. Social media is becoming a much larger aspect of PR and present practitioners with new tools to use, but they are not one in the same.

7. PR cannot exist in a vacuum – I realize that my PR efforts will be more effective if I collaborate and communicate regularly with marketing, advertising, strategy, operations and other groups throughout the organization.

8. And finally, I will recognize that good public relations isn’t about manipulating media coverage – it’s about helping an organization create and maintain stronger relationships with all of its stakeholders.

Old: “public relations helps an

organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other”

New:“public relations is a

strategic communications process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics”

New Definition

Note: PRSA initiated a crowdsourcing campaign and public vote that produced the new definition. Role of Social Media?

“public relations is a strategic communications process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics”

How do you think social media plays into this modern definition?

Trends in Modern PR:

Transparency

Social Media Blogs Facebook Google+ Twitter (microblogging)

Evaluation

Managing 24/7 News Cycle

Move to the Web & Mobile Devices

Lifelong Learning

Grunig’s 4 Classic Models of PR:

1. Press Agentry / Publicity: One-way communications, primarily through the mass media, to “hype” or sell (Ex. P. T. Barnum)

2. Public Information: One-way distribution of information, based on journalistic ideas of accuracy and completeness; little audience research

3. Two-way Asymmetric: Two-way communication, with feedback primarily to help the communicator better understand and persuade the audience. (Today: Marketing & Advertising)

4. Two-way Symmetric: Two-way communication for purpose of gaining mutual understanding; improving public understanding, learning how public perceives an organization; mutually beneficial policies & actions; “relationship building”

Ideal Model:

Two-way Symmetric: Two-way communication for purpose of gaining mutual understanding; improving public understanding, learning how public perceives an organization; mutually beneficial policies & actions; “relationship building”

How might social media enable / facilitate this model?

“The rapid rise of social networking sites has dramatically changed the landscape of public relations. Today, PR needs to be focused on listening and engaging in a dialogue with

citizens and consumers in a world where organizations must now operate in a totally

transparent manner.” – Think PR

Two-way Communication

Respond & Listen

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” - Steven Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Discussion Question: How can we “listen” using social media?

Blog comments

Twitter mentions & replies

Facebook post comments

Eliciting feedback online, via e-mail or social media

Asking questions of social media users

Others?

Gaining Mutual Understanding

Relationship Building

Be Transparent

If you’re wrong, admit it.

Correct mistakes where you make them – as quickly as possible.

Engage with readers, but professionally.

Listen.

Denver Post Policy: “If you do publish something on a social media service that is incorrect, and realize it instantly, delete the tweet or Facebook post. Issue a correction tweet or Facebook post thereafter. Do not repeat the error.

If you realize it much later, also issue a correction. Don’t try to hide the error by deleting the original message and then re-issuing the news.”

Transparency on Social Media

Transparencytransparency — adj1. easily detected or seen thru. 2. readily understood. 3. characterized by visibility or accessibility of information, especially concerning business practices. 

Authenticityauthentic — adj1. not false or copied; genuine; real: an authentic antique.2. having the origin supported by unquestionable evidence authenticated; verified3. entitled to acceptance or belief because of agreement with known facts or experience; reliable; trustworthy

http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/social-media-marketing/social-media-transparency-infographic/

Public Relations:

Using effective communication, to build meaningful relationships with publics, to create societal change, both in terms of social justice and brand awareness.

Social change is executed when the content displayed on an organization's social media platform has “the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone” – Oxford Dictionary.

https://blogs.monash.edu/presto/tag/two-way-symmetrical-communication-model/

Using Social Media:

Facebook Build brand awareness, gain customer insights, create loyalty Practice thought and creativity in shaping messages that are relevant

and interesting to your “friends”: focus on light-hearted humor, short video clips, music, contests, audience participation

Asking users to engage, submit photos of interaction with organization/products, etc.

Provide useful information Spice maker McCormick Company established a turkey page of

Thanksgiving to provide cooking tips and encourage fans to share recipes and photos. If consumers “liked” the page, they were given additional access to recipes.

Twitter Second most popular social media network (& my favorite) Real-time microblogging Great for spontaneous conversations You have 140 characters – use them wisely, keep in short but

comprehensible. You can include a link to more detail. Keep in mind anything you publish is immediate, (essentially)

permanent, & public. Be responsible. PR professionals often use Twitter to break news, answer customer

queries, provide updates on developing situations, provide useful or entertaining information. What could you Tweet about for your brand/organizations?

Be very careful not to “sell” things on Twitter. It’s about building brand awareness/loyalty through conversation, entertainment, etc.

Share customer reviews, useful information

Twitter: How to Share

The Re-Tweet Use the Retweet button. Copy and past into a new

Tweet: RT @username It’s good practice to add your

own thoughts / expertise to a re-tweet

The Modified Tweet MT @username (modify or cut

down the original tweet)

Quote a Tweet Inserts “quotes” around the

tweet, so you could add your own comment while attributing the original tweet to it’s author

ALWAYS attribute a Tweet to it’s rightful author

The Twitter Bio Your bio is searchable within the Twittersphere, meaning you need to think

carefully about keywords. It will show up in search engine results for your name, so it has to represent the true you. It's also how you choose to present yourself to Twitter's 230 million users, so it's worth giving it some serious thought.

Be Specific; use keywords (copywriter, public relations, biologist, etc.). Don't just state you're in a sales role, mention the industry in which you work. If you're a recruiter, what kind of candidates are your speciality? Do you work in marketing? Which industry sector?

Be creative; consider a 1-2 hashtags Don’t look like an automated bio: “Coffee expert. Twitterholic. Internet advocate.

Music aficionado. Wannabe entrepreneur.” gobbledegook PERFECT spelling and grammar Do some research; include your goals / values in your bio Link to your homepage Where are you from? Where do you work? What are your hobbies? What is your

expertise? What are your qualifications? How to Write a Rockstar Twitter Bio

"The idea behind your bio is that you want to provoke enough interest so that somebody will follow you back," Mark Schaefer, author of The Tao of Twitter, says. "Be

honest and give at least a hint of what you do in the real world. Then, add something unusual or funny to stand

out. For example, I identify myself as a consultant, author and social media bouncer. That often starts a

conversation!"

Blogs Corporate/Organizational Blogs (Official voice of organization):

provide useful information for audience; provide opportunity for comments; invite customers to engage in dialogue; provide personal perspective on organization programs

Employee Blogs: technical information, project oriented; be positive Third Party Blogs: organizations must monitor and respond to the

postings/reviews on external blog sites; establish relationships with influential bloggers who are talking about your organization

“In its best incarnation, corporations will use blogs to become more transparent to their customers, partners, and internally. By encouraging employees to speak their minds, companies will be able to demonstrate their heart and character. Not an easy trick for a faceless entity. This will facilitate stronger relationships and act as ‘grease in the gears’ of a business operation.” – Larry Genkin, Blogger and Podcaster magazine

Assignments:

Read & Discuss for Jan 22: Tweet Naked, Chapters 1 & 2 Tweet reflections/questions to Scott Levy @FuelOnline

Read & Discuss for Jan 22: Kaplan & Haenlein (2010). Users of the world, unite! (Moodle)