Looking over a few graphs on MarketingCharts, I noticed one that highlighted the top social networking websites and forums as of September 2010. Of course ,Facebook was #1, followed by YouTube, MySpace and Twitter. I thought I would see LinkedIn among the next most popular, but it was at the bottom of the chart. Instead there were networks I was less familiar with, including Tagged, MyLife and MocoSpace. It feels like every time we blink, there’s an announcement about a new platform, advanced technology, changing consumer behavior, new and exciting applications for our smartphones, better functionality in Enterprise 2.0, and the list goes on. We’re seeing change each and every day.

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No More Excuses

When it comes to creating a social media policy, there are no more excuses. Regardless of your company’s size, industry or area of specialization, if you want your organization to engage the right way in the social media landscape, then a policy will help to educate and guide your employees. There are many companies that rush to put up their profiles, group or fan pages and jump into conversations. There are also other organizations that realize they are not even having conversations in social networks, yet their employees are already out there talking about the company and the scope of their work, and not protecting what could be company sensitive information.

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On Sunday at 4:45 p.m., the Marina Grand Ballroom of the Marriot Hotel and Marina in San Diego, Calif., was packed with PRSA attendees. Peter Himler, founder and principal of Flatiron Communications, and moderator of the panel “Looking Ahead: The Nexus of Social Media & Public Relations” said, “Aren’t there enough social media events?” 

It was great to see a big turnout on a Sunday evening, which is a telltale sign that the topic of social media, public relations and what’s next for the industry is top of mind.

Continue reading " Looking Ahead: The Nexus of Social Media & Public Relations "

Brandy Shapiro-Babin interviews Deirdre Breakenridge, who previews her PRSA 2009 International Conference presentation on “Social Media and the PR (R)Evolution: It’s Not Just PR Anymore.”

Maria Reitan interviews Kyung Han and Rachelle Spero who preview their presentation on “Sphere of Influence of Key Opinion Leaders in Health Care Social Media.”

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Public relations is much more than endorsements and what many of the media, bloggers and the public have defined as “spin.” The practice of public relations has and will always be the art and science of building relationships, connecting people and measuring how these relationships with various publics lead to long-term value for an entity or organization (whether it’s in regard to government, investor, analyst, media, community or employee relations). 

The social media landscape influences the way public relations professionals approach and execute the practice of public relations. Social media is forcing a reform of the public relations industry and now requires public relations and communication professionals to act as research librarians, sociologists and cultural anthropologists, and content managers, among other responsibilities.

The changes that we’re experiencing allow us to take back our rightful place in the boardroom as a strong asset to any organization. We’re practicing a bottom-up strategy of listening to the public and then engaging as a meaningful resource and partner rather than the top-down, messaging push strategy of the past.�

As professionals, we must adapt our attitudes and roles, level of technological expertise and commitment to completely embrace the new public relations 2.0 responsibilities. If you started out as media liaison like many of us, then your career today requires you to take an active part within an organization as an influencer. We are not just handlers of information or facilitators of interviews. We are creating and producing content that helps people to learn; we are educating our clients, peers and the public relations industry on this new public relations movement.

Continue reading " Social Media for Public Relations: Re-Inventing An Industry "