Social Media Trends: What’s Ahead for Public Relations?
By Lauren Floyd
If you want to be included in the social media phenomena all that is required of you is to get out of bed in the morning. Our world, be it professional or personal, is inundated with the ever-booming social media trend. Be it Twitter ‘tweets,’ or Facebook posts, our communication is becoming more reliant on social media tools by the hour.
So what’s this mean for public relations professionals? David Armano of HarvardBusiness.org has predicted six social media trends for 2010, and how these trends will affect corporate life. Let’s look these trends in the context of public relations, and see how public relation professionals should consider the future of social media.
- The first trend addressed by Armano is that as the popularity of groups within social media tools and the ability to filter information grows, the very foundation of “social” media becomes more exclusive. Social media technology is allowing people to become more discerning in the information they let in. PR professionals should be sensitive of this. As social media technology expands, so should our creativity in engaging our audience. They can turn us off faster than we can say “tweet.”
- The second trend is broad utilization of social media as a way of effectively managing customer service. PR professionals can use social media as a way of effectively managing public service or awareness. Find out what people are saying about your company or client and be proactive. Features in social media tools allow you to search key words, allowing you find out what people are saying and then personally respond.
- Third, there is a growing trend in incentive-based participation, primarily with virtual incentives. This could be a great way for PR professionals to more actively engage its audience.
- More businesses are implementing social media policies, including those relating to conduct. PR professionals should absolutely have set policy guideline in place if using social media. We thrive on strategy, and developing guidelines for social media use is essential for effective utilization.
- Expanding technology is allowing mobile access to social media sites. The iPhone, for example, has applications for many social sites, including Facebook and Twitter, that allows quick access to these sites. Armano sites that 70 percent of organizations are banning participation in social media sites while at work, so more people are relying on mobile access to these sites. He thus predicts that mobile access will increase in use and sophistication. I infer from this information that people are consistent in their social media use… and quick about it too if such use isn’t allowed. If trying to engage publics, especially during the day, keep in mind that postings and other information should be quickly consumable.
- Finally, sharing is on the rise. Sharing is basically just passing information along, such as news articles, and is a function added by businesses or organizations that makes it easier to for publics to do. This is a pretty obvious application to public relations. Encourage ‘sharing’ of information by adding this function to social media endeavors.
If you have to pick just one, I recommend at least using social media to find out what people are saying about you or your client. I’ve witnessed this kind of social media use, specifically with Twitter, and being able to respond personally to a member of your public is beyond valuable. It puts the personal touch on “social” media.
For more details on Armano’s Six Social Media Trends for 2010, visit http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/nov2009/ca2009113_596100.htm
Here are some more great resources for recent social media information.
http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2009/06/15/the-key-to-developing-a-social-media-strategy/
http://mashable.com/2008/10/30/best-social-media-tools-for-pr-professionals-and-journalists/
http://socialmediaatwork.com/social-media-statistics/
Photo retrieved from s
