Social Media: Are you using it for conversation?

Social media has given both public relations practitioners and advertisers a  chance to converse with their publics. However, just because you are involved in social media does not mean that you are a part of the conversation.

An article by Tom Martin in Advertising Age highlights this very problem. Martin discusses how author John Grisham didn’t know that he even had a Facebook page when asked about it on the Today show. While Grisham’s name is on Facebook, he is clearly not behind it, and it is used for marketing rather than holding a conversation with his fans/critics. Think of how much more business he would do if he answered just a few comments a day or how his image would change if he appeared accessible to his readers.  Make sure if you are engaging in social media, that you are being just that…social.

Any social media used to promote a client, company, etc. should be used effectively. Generation Y is used to tuning out ads. A facebook page with no interactivity, a forum with no company responses, a blog with no comment abilities are not embracing PR 2.0.  While it is understandable to not respond to every comment, making an effort to communicate says alot to a disgruntled customer or an overly-excited fan. 

Twitter is another medium that is emerging as a public relations opportunity. Tons of corporations are making use of the Web site, and able to connect with people in ways they never thought possible. Chris Barger of GM makes note of the benefits of Twitter for his company in an interview with Ragan Communications. Barger notes how Twitter is not another means to sell a message to people, but to give them a chance to talk to large company.  

For more ways on how to use Twitter from a public relations standpoint, Drew B’s Take on Tech PR blog gives some suggestions.

~ by Annie Blewett on February 26, 2009.

Posted in Social Media in Public Relations
Tags: , , ,

4 Responses to “Social Media: Are you using it for conversation?”

  1. John Grisham? Hilarious. That’s a good example of how although audiences are demanding more and more interactivity, it must be used effectively. Wal-Mart starting a blog (just an example, not necessarily true) and ending each post with “Wal-Mart, Live Happy” would be terrible for the company. People would consider the blog as just another way for Wal-Mart to get their name out and make some money. The sooner a company grasps what exactly interactivity is, the better. I agree 100%.

    Ansa Edim said this on February 27, 2009 at 3:39 am

  2. Annie,

    You are correct. The use of social media tools is not effective if the user is not engaged with its audience. Conversation, dialogue, and interactivity are necessary for a successful Web 2.0 experience.

    Participation is key to PR 2.0 and companies should embrace the new marketing tools social media offer.

    You mentioned the use of Facebook and our SocialCorp textbook offers a great example of its corporate use. Sabre Airline Solutions launced Sabre Town, using an enterprise version of Facebook.

    The social networking site features profiles about employees’ skills and areas of expertise. Users post questions to company and the site sends the question to its fifteen most relevant employees. Therefore, users receive quality feedback from the company.

    Kimberly Seese said this on February 27, 2009 at 8:26 pm

  3. [...] there is the not so great way that lacks interaction.  For some tips on how to use Twitter, see my post, “Social Media: Are you Using it For [...]

    Google’s Thoughts on Twitter « Annie Blewett said this on March 6, 2009 at 10:30 pm

  4. [...] I have touched in a previous post, it is also essential that the writer does not seem to be pushing propaganda. It will question the [...]

    Why Blog? « Annie Blewett said this on March 25, 2009 at 1:16 am

Leave a Reply