Six  Of  The  Best  On  Why  Only  Public  Relations  Should  Manage  Content    By  Peter  Boyes      1.  We  know  how  to  tell  the  right  stories  to  the  right  people    All  media  relations,  but  especially  social  media  needs  our  unique  skills  in  the  creation,  stewardship  and  ability  to  share  engaging  and  relevant  stories  with  the  appropriate  audiences.  Whether  you  call  it  content  marketing  or  brand  

journalism  it  is  a  core  function  of  what  we  do.      Public  relations  is  about  telling  our  clients’  stories  using  a  range  of  carefully  chosen  communication  styles  and  media.  We  have  to  be  great  journalists.  Social  media  is  another  way  to  tell  and  share  your  stories.  It  is  not  an  IT  function  or  an  advertising  copywriter’s  blank  sheet.    

 2.  We  are  strategic  communicators.      Just  because  ‘technology’  is  involved  it  doesn’t  mean  that  IT  people,  or  video  producers  or  ‘digital  experts’  are  the  right  people  to  handle  an  organisation’s  strategic  communications.  An  understanding  of  visual  storytelling  is  needed  but  the  paramount  importance  of  words  cannot  be  underestimated  in  social  media.  Social  media  is  another  form  of  conversation  and  conversations  are  essentially  about  using  words  effectively,  then  listening  to  the  response  and  reacting  accordingly.      

Public  relations  is  about  effective  conversations.  We  have  to  be  experienced  writers,  editors,  proof-­‐readers  and  listeners.  These  are  the  essential  skills  for  blog  posts,  tweets,  status  updates,  and  online  debate.      3.  We  understand  what  is  relevant  for  your  business.      Social  media  is  not  just  about  random  posts  that  interest  the  poster.  It  is  about  supporting  an  organisation’s  strategic  business  objectives.  To  do  that  posting  has  to  be  timely,  interesting,  and  relevant.  There  is  a  Goldilocks  factor,  not  too  much,  not  too  little,  not  too  bland,  not  too  blatant.  

 Public  relations  is  about  understanding  when  to  say  something  and  when  not  to.  We  are  experienced  in  creating  content  relevant  to  a  specific  audience.  If  we  are  pitching  to  a  journalist,  or  your  clients,  politicians  or  key  opinion  leaders,  talking  to  your  staff  or  your  customer  base,  we  know  how  to  tailor  the  type  of  content  we  share.      Yes  social  media  provides  us  with  excellent  tools  to  measure  our  interactions  and  better  

understand  our  publics  and  communicate  with  our  stakeholders.  But  it  is  only  one  part  of  a  complicated  series  of  interactions  all  of  which  are  important  in  maintaining  your  social  networks  and  meeting  your  customers’  expectations  of  you.      4.  We  are  experienced  in  building  and  maintaining  relationships.      At  the  very  core  of  PR  practice  is  the  development  of  fruitful  relationships  for  our  clients  through  effective  communications,  whether  that  is  with  journalists  or  stakeholders.  Many  of  these  professional  relationships  are  maintained  by  phone,  email  and  now  social  media.  To  do  that  we  need  to  understand  your  business  intimately.    Social  media  is  all  about  understanding  maintaining  those  relationships.  That  is  not  the  role  of  IT  people,  ‘digital  experts’,  website  developers  or  advertising  executives.  Only  public  relations  has  the  complete  skill  set  to  manage  relationships  with  people  we  have  never  met,  find  accurate  information  quickly,  and  meet  customer  service  expectations.      

5.  We  are  the  issues  managers.      Public  relations  practitioners  are  highly  trained  in  issues  management  and  crisis  communications.  It  is  our  job  to  be  aware  of  issues  that  are  sensitive  for  you  and  

your  business.  These  are  the  skills  required  to  identify  and  manage  a  social  media  crisis.  At  these  times  you  must  get  your  organisation's  point  of  view  into  the  conversation  as  fast  as  possible,  answer  any  questions,  correct  misinformation,  and  be  as  helpful  as  possible.  PR  is  the  best  agency  to  

handle  reputation  management  within  a  digitally  viral  environment.      6.  We  are  the  ears.      Our  longstanding  experience  is  getting  feedback  about  our  reputation  is  easily  transferred  to  social  media.  We  know  which  questions  to  ask  and  when  and  of  whom.  And  most  importantly  we  know  how  to  use  that  information  to  inform  future  communications,  create  positive  organisational  change,  and  improve  customer  experience.  There’s  nothing  more  deadly  to  an  organisation’s  profile  than  surveying  or  asking  questions  of  its  audience  and  then  not  using  that  information  to  deepen  the  relationship.  Yet  with  most  online  surveys,  that  is  what  happens  every  time.