As a public relations professional, I’ve seen many changes in the profession through the years. And of all those, one stands out – social media.
Social media can be powerful. Many people get their news from social media instead of traditional media. People decide what to buy from social media influencers instead of an advertisement. And if a picture is worth a thousand words, it’s true that people decide what to eat and where to shop from the pictures they see on their social media timelines.
It’s no surprise to me that social media has had a significant impact on the way we as PR professionals work with the media, schedule our ads or distribute our promotional material. For these reasons, it’s also no surprise that many of us have been tasked with social media for our organizations and clients. I’ve learned that social media efforts that have value require strategic thinking, collaboration, planning and analysis. As public relations professionals, these are things we do.
I was an early adopter of Twitter and Facebook after hearing John Jantsch talk about social media and the impact it could have on public relations and marketing. He said we needed to be using social media, even if we and our organizations or clients were not ready. I’m glad I took his advice and learned as much as I could about social media. I’ve found social media fits well with what I do as a public relations professional. These words from the PRSA website say it all: “At its core, public relations is about influencing, engaging and building a relationship with key stakeholders to contribute to the way an organization is perceived.”
If people, including our target audiences, remain dependent upon their social media timelines as projected, we need to take steps to deliver our content to the channels they are on. We need to engage with our followers. We need to comment on topics that are relevant to our missions.
So, in the year 2017, let’s rock social media. Let’s maximize our potential starting with our own PRSA Chapter. Together we can breathe life into our own accounts. Engage with GKC PRSA on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. I’ll continue to share the important chapter news and events. But I’ll also share information public relations professionals may find helpful. If you are interested in discussing specific PR topics and issues on the LinkedIn group, let me know. We’ll get some discussions going.
And if you’re still trying to figure out social media, or just want to get back to basics, check out the Digital/Social Resources section on the national website. Members can participate in webinars, chats and get articles about social media just for public relations professionals. As PRSA members, we have free access to these resources. Let’s maximize our social media opportunities.
Bridget Koan
GKC-PRSA VP of Social Media
