Social Media and Other Aspects of PR

Public Relations is a vital component of all industries and businesses.  Whether a public relations professional is working for a non-profit, a business corporation, or involved in the entertainment industry, social media has become a universal tool for all practitioners.

 In Alexis Gerleit’s blog on Public Relations and Fashion she notes how social media became an emerging component of this year’s Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. Gerleit mentions that at many prominent line launches, shows were aired live over the internet. By broadcasting these launches live, fashion lovers around the world had the opportunity to catch emerging fashion at the same time as celebrities, fashion elite, etc. Gerleit also writes how many designers and celebrities used social media sites, like Twitter, this fashion week. Celebrities used social sites like Twitter to let fans know which shows celebrities would be attending, but also snapping pictures and instantly uploading the images to their accounts.  

Social media has become such a dominant aspect of the PR industry that ethical conduct of online practitioners has become a heavily debated subject. One branch under the social media umbrella, blogging, is often debated as to what extent its users ethics should be questioned. I found Steph Ferris’s post on Bloggers Code of Ethics to be extremely relevant to the current state of public relations. I agree with Ferris’ opinion that if a PR pro is using a blog as a legitimate public relations tool, than all business ethics need to be incorporated into their campaign. It is irresponsible for a practitioner to not uphold a blog to the same ethical standard they would for any other element of their campaign. While I agree that a blog is often used by the general public as a mean of creative expression, when a PR pro is running/maintaining a blog for a client, ethical conduct is a necessity.

As social media continues to evolve into a dominant form of public relations, there needs to be guidelines for ethical conduct. If public relations professionals are not upheld to a moral and ethical business standard, then any reliability PR social media has is questionable. If PR pros are willing to use social media outlets as a means of gaining publicity for their client, cause, etc., then they need to be held accountable for the message they propel into the media.

Social Media: A Necessary Component of PR

Social media is swiftly becoming an essential component of all media campaigns. A survey conducted by the Public Relations Society of America found that over 80 percent of practitioners surveyed believe that social media will remain a key element of public relations and 90 percent believe that it is a significant element of any communications plan. Because of the vitality that social media brings to a public relations campaign, it is essential that social media efforts are reflected in the time, effort and most importantly, budget, of the campaign.

PR Professional Paola Faessler’s capstone on the use of social media in non-profit organizations proposes multiple reasons as to why a social media campaign requires adequate attention and finances to be successful. Faessler mentions that since many of the most common and popular media outlets (like Facebook, Twitter, etc.) are free, there needs to be a substantial budget given to the public relations professional overseeing the social media element of the campaign. Faessler also mentions that social media needs to be a measurable tool for the public relations professional running the campaign. I believe that if a public relations professional plans to use a social media website as any component of their campaign, a tangible goal is necessary. Once they have gotten their message out to the audience (in the form of blogs, posts, etc), it is the duty of a public relations pro to use databases, like Cision, to discover how many prospective clients/customers are viewing these sites. The public relations professional can also use the responses posted from their audience as a means of gathering qualitative research and understanding about the consumers’ needs.

 I believe that a public relations professional needs to launch a multi-dimensional social media campaign to discover if this is the appropriate outlet to reach an audience. In an extremely competitive economy an appealing website is no longer a strong enough asset for a campaign. The public relations pro needs to use blogs, videos, photo sharing, etc. to entice their potential consumers. Once the practitioner has completed a unique and multi-dimensional social media campaign, they can firmly determine if social media is the best media outlet to fulfill the goals of their clients.

Social Media and Research: The Effects on PR

The use of social media in public relations has undoubtedly broadened the industry within the last few years. While multiple businesses and companies have been forced to make cuts and lay-offs, specifically over the last two years, the PR industry has not been tainted. In fact, the PR industry has continued to thrive. 75 percent of agencies surveyed by the Council of PR firms said that their companies have actually grown since the beginning of 2010. Over 80 percent of agencies surveyed also noted growth in 2010 of overall revenue. For more details, check out this article.

PR professional’s understanding of the uses of social media is the main explanation why PR is a growing field in a perishing economy. PR agencies have played the most vital role in developing social media outlets and digital efforts for key clients. Ketchum has worked on social media projects for many recognizable clients like Kodak and Best Buy, while PR firm Edelman has handled the social media for large corporate clients such as eBay.

It is undeniable that the relationship between public relations and social media is not only very much alive, but will continue to flourish. Richard Edelman, CEO of Edelman PR Agency, notes that the new digital age of public relations is a necessity for any business to expand. The digital age presents many more challenges and obstacles for a company, and more specifically, the company’s reputation. This factor has forced PR pros to respond quickly to challenges, and knowing which outlet is most suitable to reach their audience. This has inherently placed public relations professionals at a higher level of worth in every company or business. 

Social Media public relations is becoming such a critical component of the PR industry that professionals are learning how to target research tools specifically towards social media. Social media monitoring companies have developed software which allows companies to review online posts and conversations for further analysis. Once a client has developed their research goals, pr professionals have the ability to build data and then take feedback from consumers and turn it into metric results. These metric results will allow a PR pro to evaluate consumer’s attitudes and opinions on the company’s product, service, etc. Check out this article for a more in depth analysis.

I believe that having a firm grasp on the importance of social media and having the skill set to use multiple media outlets is essential for all PR professionals. Building an online campaign through a “digital media shop” is simply not sufficient in the world of constantly evolving internet. PR practitioners who know how to actively run a social media website will have an edge over competing public relations pros because they not only have the necessary writing skills for the profession, but most importantly, know how to reach their prospective audience through appropriate media outlets.

Focus of Blog: Social Media

Since the birth of public relations in the early 20th century, press releases have remained a fairly static and constant means for PR professionals to gain publicity for their clients. However, the birth of the internet in the early 90’s and its emergence as a major component of media has had a considerable effect on how public relations practitioners operate. In the last ten years, social media has had the largest impact on how the industry functions. While it is without question that pr professionals need to adapt to our constantly evolving technology, as well as the emergence of the internet as a major form of communication, at what extent will the social media replace the traditional public relations practices of the past? This is the question and focus my blog will develop.


In an economy where the public is now forced to make educated and careful decisions about where they invest their money, it is necessary for public relations professionals to be able to get feedback from the public about their wants and needs. Therefore, pr practitioners need active audience participation and feedback to create a functional access between the clients they are representing and the public. Social media websites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and multiple other emerging websites are bridging the gap between the public and companies. Here is a link with an article examining these features in more detail:

http://mashable.com/2010/08/16/pr-social-media-future/

I believe that the human element that social media adds to public relations is the main reason why it has become such a dominant part of the industry. Although there are many dilemmas and issues attached to social media public relations, it is currently the most vital tool for companies to build relationships with their publics. Naturally, social media needs to be a main focus for many public relations practitioners and professionals.