What are the current trends in social media for public relations professionals? Well, there are numerous discussions on this topic that are emerging from various sources. Mashable had an article that discussed how social media was really going to be everywhere – thanks to new technology devices like the Apple Tablet and new Smartphones. People want to get their information from anywhere – and this is something that public relations professionals need to be aware of. There are certainly some rules that professionals seem to also be writing about in regards to social media. Jess Greco from PRBreakfast Club mentioned a few lessons including how social media can be used to establish new contacts in order to get a job or making new friends. Here are a few that I have learned over the years from my early days on the Internet back in high school to now:
Practicing good proactive behavior: At the early stages of the Internet, there was a trend where people were having different personas online compared to how they were in real life. My grandfather used to say that we should have one set of manners – and this can be applied to being online. If people have a balanced presence – meaning that they behave and act the same way online as they do in real life – they will be better off.
Online reputation sustainability practices are key: With the current status of the economy, people are thinking about what they can do to establish their online reputation more effectively and separate themselves from the rest of the crowd. What I mean is that there are many resources available out there for people to use, but if you want to make sure that you spend the amount of time and resources that are available that will produce the most effective results. Sure, you may want to have fancy blog or features on your web sites – but if you do not have the content or really understand how and why people are using social media, then you will be facing some challenges.
You have to be on top of your online reputation in real time: There was recently an article that discussed how public relations professionals have to be practicing real time PR – meaning that we have to be aware and active online for our clients and for ourselves all the time. This is true – in order to have a stable and positive online reputation, you have to be active online and be aware of what is being said about you by others in the virtual community. This of course takes time and effort, but your reputation is your most valuable asset.
Anyway, these are just a few lessons that I have learned over the years. The thing that sometimes people seem to forget about social media is that the same public relations rules do apply – to a certain point. People want to feel that they are being listened to as well as having the feeling that they are having a real relationship with a company or individual. They also want to get to know you as a person – what are your interests, your perspectives on issues relevant to the profession, and what you like to do for fun. You are the best PR person for your personal reputation – start a blog writing about your interests, create an online portfolio, and be active on social networking sites. The online community awaits – what are you waiting for? 🙂
Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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