Like every other field, Public relations (PR), is constantly evolving too! The PR strategies that were considered mighty and powerful a few years ago, have now become redundant. The digital age of today is one of the most important influencing factor for this change. Unlike a few years ago, PR does not depend and operate solely on earned media. PR firms today have a far greater pool of responsibilities to manage. Today, a PR firm is expected to manage the social media and content marketing along with the earned media for an organization. The need to be connected with publications and other media relations will always be the role of PR but additional roles have been added.
So, what is Public Relations?
The shift in business needs is another important factor. Now businesses are more interested in generating leads and sales rather than creating media impressions. Blogging and other social media tools have brought in the scope to connect with a larger audience directly and thus the focus is shifting towards successfully using these connections. Initially, PR was the stand alone and single point of communication between the public and the business, but today the public has many points of approach. Thus, PR strategies now include maintaining constant and direct interactions that engage the public directly with the business.
Since these social media platforms serve as a constant and 24/7 available platform, PR specialists need to be more vigilant and proactive. They need to be constantly updated about the happening across several platforms, all at once! PR campaigns are no longer analyzed simply based on the number of impressions they create. The need now is to use the multimedia platforms to create a buzz around the business and be trending across multiple platforms. Social engagement has become the prime focus of PR! While content development and management was always the role of PR, with a diverse number of available platforms, the need for effective content management and development has risen significantly. Today it’s not just about handing out a well drafted content material to a publication but also be able to ‘Tweet’ or publish on ‘Facebook’ about the press releases regarding a business.
Public Relations definition for the future includes the need to be creative, forward thinking and accept the innovations around. PR has always been responsible for telling compelling stories about a brand but these stories need to be according to the set formats and trending ways of popular social media platforms. The internet and social media are the greatest boon for any business and PR specialists need to use the power of these mediums to continue making greater impacts, maximize exposure and visibility and use these media platforms and channels to project a business as the leader.
The future of ‘what is Public Relations’ is all about effectively managing multiple roles and platforms all integrated towards one common goal- the growth of the brand. It’s important to make a positive impact on all available platforms and utilize the power of each, individually. Visit http://www.impcom.net to know more about what is Public Relations.
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