Social Media, Here to Stay

Part one of Share This expresses the importance of understanding and utilizing social media platforms. The world of Internet technology is constantly growing and, now more than ever, the Internet is a means of connecting with people and building relationships. People don’t have to go through institutions to get things from each other anymore; they use technology and social media.

I get news alerts and shopping deals pushed to my iPhone. I spend hours at a time on Pinterest looking at recipes, hairstyles and home do-it-yourself tips. I tweet about my favorite TV shows and post pictures of my dogs to Instagram. But it’s not just me connecting online, nor is it just people my age. It’s also my 10-year-old cousin, my grandparents and everybody in between. You can find people of all demographics on the Internet nowadays; which is why it is so important for PR practitioners to understand how to connect through social media.

The technology and the networks are always evolving, but if there’s anything I’ve learned so far from class readings it’s this:

It will always be about creating and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships.

To simplify: more than 70% of people are present on social networks and it’s a PR practitioner’s job to connect. PR people – get with it! Social media isn’t going anywhere, so let’s embrace it! The networks may be advancing daily, but the basic underpinnings of social media strategy remain the same as they were ten years ago. Chapter two of Share This provides six steps to kick-starting a social media plan:

1.    Select your squad. Who’s going to run the show? Managing the social media plan is typically the concern of the PR, communication and marketing departments, but depending on what the organization is trying to communicate, other departments may be involved as well. Organizations also need to make sure executives are on board and supportive of social media activity.

2.    Choose your goal. Objectives and strategies are important. Social media isn’t something organizations can go into haphazardly; a plan is necessary. What does your organization want to communicate? Focus on that message and let it drive your social media plan.

3.    Start listening. Monitoring is key. Even if you aren’t active on social media now, chances are very likely that people are already out there talking about your organization. Take note and use it to your advantage – relay the information to the rest of your organization and grow from it. Also, don’t be afraid to participate in the conversation.

4.    Think character and content. Engage with users! It’s all about building relationships. Your publics don’t want to feel like they are going back and forth with an institution; they want to communicate and connect with people, so make sure your content conveys the character of your organization. Be friendly, service-oriented and enthusiastic about your organization and your audiences will notice.

5.    Integrate your outposts. First, choose your platforms; this will require research and maybe even trial and error. Which sites will work best for your audiences in terms of engagement and relationships? Second, through other forms of organizational communication, direct traffic to your social media sites, connect with users and keep them involved.

6.    Measure what you treasure. Evaluation is often overlooked in PR, but measuring results is extremely important in order for an organization to grow. How will you know whether to continue in old strategies or develop new strategies if you are not measuring success? Look for increased website traffic, increased mentions and positive reviews – there are numerous technologies that allow for this type of measurement and they are critical to an organization’s development.