Social media is the number one activity on the Internet. Fact. Social media is an online media that welcomes two-way conversation that’s constantly updated as opposed to traditional media, which delivers content but nothing further.
Social media can take many different forms, including everything from forums, blogs and micro-blogging to wikis, podcasts, videos, photographs and social bookmarking. Sites such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Wikipedia, Digg – they all fall under the social media umbrella.
As we all know, the traditional media industry – i.e. newspapers and magazines – has been dying out for quite some time now. Jobs have been slashed left, right and centre as more and more people ditch the printed word to get their news online. And why wouldn’t they? It’s fast; instant; it’s part of a massive global two-way conversation and, more importantly, it’s free!
But media overall isn’t dying. It’s merely changing. And this is my point. To survive, newspapers are going online. They’re getting active on Twitter; launching their own online communities and forums; welcoming two-way conversation on their news stories; writing blogs – they’re adapting to our changing world. A world that is demanding everything online.
So you see, social media could be saving the traditional media industry. It’s just adapting to survive. The demand for media is still there and as strong as ever – but the medium in which we demand it has changed. The printed form will most likely die out, eventually. How newspapers will replace their subscription revenue is another matter entirely.
Whatever happens, all journalists will have to adapt and learn to blog, write news articles with SEO in mind and get used to sites such as Twitter. And if the media industry is changing, then public relations is changing, meaning that PR agencies will have to adapt as well.
But many PR professionals still seem reluctant to embrace social media, showing a real lack of understanding of the changing media landscape around them. Those PR agencies who ignore social media, don’t take it seriously or see it as just a ‘bolt-on’ service won’t survive themselves.
You see, public relations will always exist and PR agencies will remain. But only if they understand, learn and welcome with open arms this new form of media.
What’s even more crucial is learning the art of Search Engine Optimisation. All PR professionals and journalists should be fully trained in SEO by now, as well as writing in HTML. Because you can’t just apply your traditional PR skills to this new medium, oh no! You have to be thinking in terms of the search engines with every single word and phrase that you write. There’s far more to it than meets the eye. It’s a science. A craft in itself.
Even now – more than half a century since social media planted its roots – there are many PR dinosaurs plodding around out there, reluctant to even understand it and see where it fits. The fact is, public relations manages, protects and enhances reputations through whichever medium we choose. Social media replaces traditional media as the new medium in which we manage, protect and enhance these reputations.
So to conclude, let’s keep things simple. Traditional media is the old media. Social media is the new. It’s time to stop thinking about it in terms of just Facebook or meaningless conversations online. It’s not the shape of things to come, it’s already here. Social media is not a fad, it’s here to stay.
If your PR agency still has its head stuck in the sand, call us for a chat. We’d be more than happy to talk you through our range of services available. What’s more, we’re affordable, cost-effective and will tailor our services to suit your needs, not our own. Don’t forget you can easily contact us on Twitter @boomerangpr.
To see some of our work in action, check out Creative Boom – it’s an online magazine designed to support, celebrate and inspire the creative industries. It’s a live example of what we can do for your business in terms of social media, Search Engine Optimisation and web design and development.
