Social Media InPublic Relations

Emily BoothCourtney Conner

Dre KellySam Riley

Beyanka Wheatley

“We try to amass followers and likes as if it’s a ‘thing’. We try to get views because that’s how we justify and substantiate our work. But why? What’s it all for? What does it mean? What does it matter?”

-Brian Solis (@briansolis, 2013)

What is Public RElations?

Public Relations ManagementThe development of Internet and Web in the 1990s influenced companies, organizations and individuals to create their own websites

Key performance indicators (KPIs) focus on continuous monitoring of social media and sales activity data

Social Business

Influence is very important! Data suggests that actual friends are most influential which is why PR try to tap into the influence of social networks

&

Public Relations Management (Continued )Early social media ( , ,& ) empowered people to

interact as media producers

The rapid growth of the media market driven by smartphones and tablets create a need for new apps and new platforms

Richard Edelman’s (President of Edelman) “Hamburg Principles” urge PR to focus on digital media and research, and partners with advertising agencies when working with large clients

Public Relations History & TacticsMessage management began with church and political propaganda

centuries ago, and it was fueled by 20th century technological and social change

In the 1910s, PR featured traditional tactics, such as traveling publicity tours

In 1948, Harry Truman conducted a nationwide “Whistle Stop” train tour which helped obtain live radio campaign

Between 1949 and 1952, Edelman launched a small PR firm, quickly adopting new technology of television with millions watching I Love Lucy and other popular shows

“Key theories may enhance critical thinking abilities of students critical thinking abilities of students, interns and professionals.”

-Latchaw, Allen, and Ogden (2009)

Public Relations TheoryPR focuses on communication strategies and tactics, organizational practices and management which includes new releases, press conferences, events, and publications

With the broader communications industry, there is debate about the volume of theory versus practice

Theoretical perspectives are agenda-setting, cultivation, ethics, issues management, organizational communication and persuasion

CredibilityThe potential for attitude &

behavior change through social media communication

It has been related to believability, leadership, warmth, salience, trustworthiness, expertise, attractiveness, skills, accuracy, and sincerity.

Social Media is a good tool to spread your opinions about certain matters

Audience will follow someone with more credibility

“Gaining social capital really means becoming a strong, consistent member of the online community.”

- Solomon, 2013

Social Capital, Conflict & CollaborationCreated by Robert Putnam in the mid 1990s as he argued for

declining American social relationshipsRefers to the ability of individuals & organizations to benefit

from a communication behaviorIt is a popular idea within the social sciences and has been

related to social interaction, trust, shared value and social media use

Using social networking and media to cultivate social capital should generate opportunities to collaborate beyond organizational boundaries

In PR, there are potentially a large number of opportunities within most communities to utilize virtual collaboration through social media

Social Media TacticsPR people are in search of “traction” amid the noisy and

cluttered world of social media.Use of SEO keywords: getting your story on the top of a search

engine from words or phrases that you are trying to rank, yet social media demands more

PR professionals in search of media and social sharing, even viral distribution, must be strategic by offering timely information

PR encourages public understanding and goodwill towards a particular company and its products or services through social media

Social Media in Public Relations

Public Relations Newsroom & Message Targeting● Edelman PR created the Creative Newsroom idea to address

the need for real-time social media monitoring, response, and strategy.

● Purpose of the Creative Newsroom: provide clients a platform for storytelling, for both real-time and planned marketing. Media Storytelling, to engage audience.

● GolinHarris created “THE BRIDGE” two years earlier than Edelman.

● GolinHarris created a “a holistic engagement network” which offers businesses front row seats to important events, headlinings, and broadcasting.

Public Relations Blogging & Case Studies● Understanding that social media have become PR tools that create different ways to generate customer brand interest. (Including Blogging)● Social Media can be used to hold press conference, launch

national tours that integrate traditional and up to date media.

● Useful tactics: inventing new hashtags or adding onto trending topics, which can eventually connect with new potential customers.

● Bloggers and VIP Influences can help with employee’s brand to expand to different aspects.

● The integrated approach to PR and digital marketing may be positive for brand visibility (blog placement) customer loyalty and even sales.

Corporate Social ResponsibilityCorporate Social Responsibility (CSR) ask companies to consider the effects

of their businesses on social and environmental conditions.

Social Media engagement can be related to CSR by emphasizing social responsibility for individuals, groups, and companies.

CSR emphasized self-regulation within companies as a more effective way to achieve social good over previous efforts of “big government” regulation.

Social media allows consumers to voice their immediate dissatisfaction and engage with others having similar issues. Social media amplifies and accelerates consumer voices, not only forcing company responses, but also nudging interest in CSR.

Communicating CSR may result in positive effects, such as increased brand loyalty for those customers in search of socially responsible products and company behavior.

carroll’s pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility

NonprofitsNon-profits have the most to

gain from social media communication PR shift.

They are typically faced with low or non-existent media budgets and hope to benefit through earned media.

The best way for them to gain community awareness is through social media.

SuccessesChief Executive Officers (CEO) plays a huge role in developing and maintaining social media Public Relations success stories.

CEO social media use has the potential to increase perceptions of credibility.

The CEO should be able to handle media and public backlashes during times of crises.

However, participating within social media also opens brands to potential criticism attacks.

FailuresPeople must always filter their thoughts before publishing them out in social media, whether it be their own personal account, or the company’s.

The online site Mental Floss reported 16 cases where people were fired because of an inappropriate tweets.

While this firing was immediate, sometimes an old tweet can come back to haunt an employee.

Lessons“Measure what matters” Impressions and equivalency are points if your media efforts aren’t impacting the company’s bottom line.

“Re-Think media placement” Social sharing, online pieces are often driving conversation better than print coverage.

“Adopt a channel- agnostic approach” By connecting content across earned, owned, and paid media.

Discussion Questions: Strategies & Tactics1.How is PR changing because of social media use? What are

the positives and negatives of the shift?2.How is it possible to integrate the different media forms described by the Edelman cloverleaf? What are the most important limitations to integrated PR?

3.What do you see as the most important corporate social responsibility issues related to social media? How might these change in the future?