Social Media and Public Relations: A Union of Bliss or Not

The readings for this week were both interesting; however, I have chosen to discuss only one of the two. My choice is based on the argument contained in the article, which is very similar to what has so far been discussed on this blog. Nevertheless, before I delve into the argument, it is important to state that this argument is one that may never reach a consensus, considering its similarity to the argument between skeptics and celebrants of the internet.

Social media: An effective tool for PR or not

Valentini (2014) argued that the perception of the social media as totally beneficial to public relation practice was a belief devoid of concrete evidence. According to her, this notion lacked adequate empirical support. Therefore, her goal was to point out that social media should not be wholeheartedly adopted into the practice of PR, without proper understanding of its operations. 

Anyone, who has followed the topics being discussed on this blog, would see the similarity between this researcher’s goal and the conclusions that have so far been made on the use of technology.

Some weeks ago, we were able to establish that technology has its good and bad sides; it is not positive or negative in itself, but takes up either of these aforementioned characteristics, based on its use or user. This was the point of Valentini (2014); she sort to enlighten PR professionals that as much as there were many glaring advantages of using social media, it also had its negative effects that should not be ignored. Personally, I agree that with the way technology is being used and controlled today, not just organizations or professionals, but also individuals must be cautious in their use of these technologies.  However, our focus on this post is whether social media is a hundred percent good for PR practice as acclaimed.

Relationship building: Between individuals versus corporations

One of the main roles of PR is to establish mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and its publics (Lattimore, Baskin, Heiman & Toth, 2012). Therefore, it is easy to see the correlation between this main function and the social media. The social media is a technology that many individuals use to foster relationships across the globe. Hence, the probability that this platform could also do same for PR professionals is high or maybe not.  First, we must properly dissect these two contexts. The fact that individuals are able to build effective relationships with one another on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, does not mean that the dynamics are the same, when it comes to organizations or corporations. For instance, I may be more willing to accept advice concerning a product or service from my friends and family than from the company itself. How then is this relationship to be formed, when people are weary of direct communications from unfamiliar organizations? This is the reason for the increase in the use of friends or word of mouth (WOM) by organizations on social media sites.

It is not that people are not interested in what organizations have to say, but that they are more interested in companies that have been able to earn their trust over a period of time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMS5Iu0psDY. So, for any “new” (which means individual’s unfamiliarity with the company) organization, breaking through the clutter of information to one individual or groups of people, is not as “black and white” as the celebrants of the social media claim. This is the understanding that Valentini (2014) aimed to pass across.

Social media: Direct communication or platform for general information

Another advantage of social media to the PR profession is that practitioners are able to communicate directly with their publics. It is true that they no longer have to go through the traditional media (radio, television and print media) to communicate with stakeholders and staff, who are also part of an organization’s publics. But, when consumers are involved, it may not be that simple.

Communication is more than information (Valentini, 2014) and so, the availability of a platform for organizations to relay their messages directly to individuals, does not imply that these individuals actually received or decoded the message. Therefore, when it is said that social media enables PR persons to communicate directly with its publics, what does that even mean?

There are no guarantees that the information being transmitted would be seen by the target audience and even if it is seen, there must be feedback to connote that the information was truly a communication process. On the other hand, there is so much information on SNSs that people often just glance through these sites, pausing only when friends and family seem involved in the interaction.

Beyond the criticism

So that I do not appear totally biased about the “goodness” of social media in PR practice, I would like to point out two advantages that seem concrete. Social media allows for fast and cheap transfer of information to an organization’s publics. Formerly, it would have taken a longer and more expensive process to get information across to consumers. However, with the social media and other platforms on the web, it has become less strenuous. There is no need to pay, except in the case of advert placement.

Final thoughts: Implications

The point though, is that speed and fewer expenses do not always imply effectiveness. The power is once again in the hands of the consumer to determine if the relationship would be beneficial. If it is, then a relationship is formed and easily maintained, communication becomes fast, continuous and cheap, and then, one can truly say that social media is in this instance, “good” for the PR profession.

Realistically, I would advice PR practitioners not to keep their hopes up that social media would not have adverse effects, because though technology makes life a little easier, it does not have the solution to all of life’s problems.

Therefore, technology, in form of the social media has been made available, but like every other technology, there are no clear cut distinctions on whether it is purely advantageous or not. Social media does offer opportunities that should be explored in the field of PR. Nevertheless, one must be aware of its limitations, in order to adequately utilize its strengths and minimize false expectations. 

Thoughts of a PR guru

“The role of public relations transcends technology,” said Harold Burson, founder of the largest PR agency in the world. “No new invention or methodology can ever change the basic human characteristic of communicating ideas with the basic purpose of influencing agreement or support or otherwise.” 

References

Jenkins, H., Ford, S., & Green, J. (2013). Spreadable media: Creating value and meaning in a networked culture (pp. xi-113). NYU Press.

Lattimore, D., Baskin, O., Heiman, S., & Toth, E. (2012). Public relations: The profession and the practice (4^th Edition). New York: McGraw Hill Inc.

Valentini, C. (2014). Is using social media “good” for the public relations profession? A critical reflection. Public Relations Review.