The Internet has become one of the most, if not the most, important tools for professionals around the world. From marketing titans to “mom and pop” businesses, access to the Internet has become vital for success. So, too; is the need to use social media as a way to spread the word about products or news about an organization. According to Christina Warren from Gist.com, websites such as “Twitter, Facebook, Youtube other social sites have quickly become important tools in a PR professional’s overall toolkit.”
To find the potential influence that social media can have on public relations, one needs to look no further than the election of Barack Obama. “Online tools such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter contributed to the netting of record-breaking campaign funding and the staggering galvanization of a younger generation of first-time voters who truly made an impact and a difference,” says Brian Solis for techcrunch.com. The “followers” and “fans” on social networks allowed this campaign to net more than double the electoral votes of Senator McCain. President Obama’s technologically savvy campaign allowed him to not only collect more fundraising money but also allowed him to outspend his opponent by a 3 to 1 margin, thus affording him the opportunity to be able to get the word out to millions of people.
It is important for companies not only to utilize existing social media but also to create their own. Blogs are a great source for just this. Blogs can offer unadulterated information directly to publics, but more importantly they can be directly controlled by companies. When delivering messages through websites such as Twitter, one is left to deal with hurdles such as character limitations and content restrictions. With blogs, companies can avoid such things.
Social media have the power to make popular companies even more popular and for others to reinforce brand loyalty. Public relations has become a complex and dynamic field. It is as important as ever for PR Practitioners to look at every tool available and to utilize those tools to enhance a client's image and to strengthen its brand.
techcrrunch.com
gist.com
