In public relations, we talk about how it is very important to make sure that our messages and strategies match up to our target audiences and stakeholders. What do we exactly mean by stakeholders? Freeman (1984) defined stakeholders as being “any group or individual who is affected by or can affect the achievement of an organization’s objectives.” In other words, stakeholders can be anyone that has an invested interest in your company or the issue that you are part of.
Marketing and public relations professionals are now having to look at who their primary stakeholders are, and how to best reach them. One of the ways that corporations are doing this in their marketing and PR campaigns is to employ social media strategies. From figuring out where people are coming from and what information they are looking for, social media web sites allow more two-way communication between teh corporation and its audiences. Another way that having a social media site helps a marketing and PR campaign is that it puts a “face” on the corporation in a way. Stakeholders are communicating with individuals within the organization and can have more interaction with them.
Social media is indeed changing how public relations and marketing professionals address their stakeholders. There seems to be a change– instead of impersonal press releases and structured announcements, corporations are using tailored, personal, and interactive communication strategies to reach their audiences. In many ways, we are seeing a consumer behavior revolution at our hands because of the significant impact that social media has had.
However, there are still those that do not believe the impact that social media has on their stakeholders and consumers. These corporations state that their company web sites are the best way to communicate to their stakeholders. Yes, it is important to use certain sites and communication channels in certain situations– however, it is also important to recognize that the business environment is changing and how people get their information. Corporations that focus more on being more personable and interactive with their consumers and other stakeholders will survive and reap the benefits.
Hope you all are having a wonderful day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
Reference
Freeman, R.E. (1984), Strategic Management – A Stakeholder Approach, Pitman, Boston, MA.
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