PR does not have to control all aspects of social media, but a communications professional should always at least be involved in the conversation. We’ve outlined the top three reasons to involve someone in communications with social media strategy, policy, and content creation.
PR people know how to answer the tough questions. An angry member posts a rant on your association’s Facebook page, or a negative tweet challenges your organization’s credibility. How do you handle these types of issues – do you respond, or ignore it? Delete it, or tackle it in front of your online audience? In the web 2.0 world, 140 characters may be all it takes for an online issue to spiral into a legitimate crisis. PR people are trained in developing the messages and language of a response strategy. You wouldn’t have an intern or a marketing staff member defend your organization to the New York Times, so why should social media be any different?
The Media are connecting more on social media than ever. A survey conducted by Cision and GW University in 2009 found that more than half of all journalists turn to sites like Twitter for story research. It’s increasingly common for social media sites to offer a direct communication route to mainstream media, and having an expert in media relations involved with your social media can help secure traditional media coverage. More than ever, it is essential to synchronize your approach to social media with traditional earned media PR campaigns. As Mashable reported in November, investigative journalists are now taking advantage of the visibility of an online community relationship to examine documents and find information to strengthen their story.
It’s still about communication. Social media content should not be a thinly veiled marketing strategy; it’s about taking your organization’s communication and transforming it into an active dialogue. The last thing you want is for your social media site to feel sales-ey. Since PR pros are concerned with maintaining the organization’s public image, they can structure content that sends a consistent and strategic message, while maintaining transparency, engagement, and open discussion.
Bottom line? Social media gives your audience control to facilitate a (hopefully!) positive discourse in front of an online audience. Whether you are dealing with negative feedback, communicating with the media, or engaging in conversation that represents your brand and image, it is essential to get a communications professional involved.
Now, we’re not getting greedy here: PR people don’t need to control every aspect of the pages. Liken it to a cocktail party. Technology, legal, marketing, interns, etc. are all invited. But PR should be the host: introducing people, keeping the drinks filled, mingling and stimulating conversation, vacuuming beforehand to make a good impression, and handling ‘that guy’ who has had a bit too much to drink. The best parties are the ones that people keep talking about.