Public Relations and the Social Web: How to Use Social Media and Web 2.0 in Communications (1st edition)

Citation

Hazlett, K. (2010), "Public Relations and the Social Web: How to Use Social Media and Web 2.0 in Communications (1st edition)", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 27 No. 7, pp. 650-651. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363761011086425

Rob Brown, UK Managing Director for Staniforth's TBWA Group, has had a fascination with the internet since his early PR days when the firm with which he was working “networked the PCs in the office. This meant that we could –mail each other internally.” (p. ix)

He uses his now 20‐plus years of experience as the basis for Public Relations and the Social Web: How to Use Social Media and Web 2.0 in Communications, and the result is an easy‐to‐read guide to the technology that drives social media communications. For the marketing or public relations manager wishing to develop a better sense of how the exponential growth of social media has impacted communication, Public Relations and the Social Web is a great starting point.

For starters, Brown provides an overview of the impact of social media communication on traditional communication. And, for the public relations professional used to relying on traditional media outlets for message dissemination this can be significant. “[Consumers] no longer implicitly trust what they are being told and this has major implications for the ways that brands communicate.” (p. 3)

However, in spite of the changes generated as Web 2.0 continues to establish itself in the communication equation, Brown assures us that “traditional media will not go away…The simple historical fact is that mass communication technologies are never replaced by newer technologies. They co‐exist, while continuing to evolve.” (pp. 7‐8)

The major change that communicators will see, as Brown points out in Chapter 2, “The implications for communicators,” is that media consumers…our target audiences… are “engaging with others like them: sharing content rather than simply consuming it … ” (p. 13).

More importantly, though, modern‐day practitioners must understand the permanence of online conversations regarding the client, product, or service they are representing. “We must always remember that …these conversations are held in public and will remain in the public domain for the foreseeable future and in some cases perhaps forever.” (p. 23)

Chapter 4, “The new channels,” provides an overview of the online communication channels which the practitioner should be familiar with and, ideally, conversant in. He makes it clear, though, that he is not addressing the internet as a new medium; rather, he views the internet as “a delivery mechanism that is fast becoming the preferred route through which we access television, radio and much of our newspaper content … ” (p. 25).

With this in mind, he provides “how‐to” tips for the novice social networker on blogs, podcasts, wikis, RSS feeds, and more. Although the practitioner skilled in traditional communication techniques certainly has an advantage in crafting a compelling message, Brown cautions, “Remember that this is a conversation in public and that most likely they [the online audiences] will talk back.” (p. 28)

Chapter 5, “Digital PR and search engine optimization,” addresses the issue of “findability,” or the use of keywords and other relevant identifiers to help position your client, product, or service at or near the top of online search results. What this means for communicators, says Brown, is that we “need to move away from the use of convoluted terms and phrases that in the past have been favoured by some branding campaigns to more straightforward and descriptive terminology that will raise our search rankings” (p. 56).

Brown devotes Chapter 7, “The new ethics,” to a discussion of the public relations profession's ethical guidelines in this new communications era. More than ever, he cautions, the need for strict adherence to ethical communication standards is crucial. “In this newly defined environment, organizations quite simply have no place to hide…They are constantly under scrutiny and their customers are able to talk back.” (p. 72) Or, to put it more bluntly, “[The social web] forces practitioners to operate more ethically even if it is just through enlightened self‐interest.” (p. 74)

In Chapter 8, “The blurring of channels,” Brown suggests a rethinking of the concept of “medium.” This is not “the world as we knew and loved it.” No longer is the content of a particular medium consumed in its traditional format. “We don't need a television to watch television any more.” (p. 77)

What does this mean for the professional communicator? In a sense, says the author in Chapter 9, “The battle for influence at the digital frontier,” the PR professional has a fighting chance because “…the skills that are important…are the softer management skills of diplomacy and influence…the skills that PR people have always used in their interactions with traditional media.” (p. 85)

Communicators are well‐advised, says Brown, to dot their is and cross their ts when preparing campaigns incorporating Web 2.0 into the communications mix, and Chapter 11, “Digital PR architecture,” offers advice on fine‐tuning messages for the web. “Because this is a new and emerging discipline there is huge temptation to develop your offer too quickly…Learn from the mistakes of others, immerse yourself in the world of the user‐generated content and educate yourself … ” (pp. 115‐116)

Chapter 12, “Tools of the trade,” is devoted in large part to the still‐evolving “social media release,” an aspect of online public relations campaigns that is rapidly gaining a foothold in media relations programs. While many public relations firms have embraced the concept, others are evaluating its effectiveness versus traditional media relations methods. “The Social Media Release…is becoming talked about more and more as an adjunct to or even a replacement for that mainstay of public relations, the humble press release.” (p. 125)

Fortunately for those of us steeped in traditional public relations practices, Chapter 13, “Evaluation and measurement,” at least sounds familiar. As the author points out, “There are a significant number of tools already in existence that allow us to monitor and measure…some of the direct impacts of our activity…[but] there is no single tool…that provides us with a one‐stop solution.” (p. 133)

The question that one must ask, therefore, when creating online campaign messaging is one of “findability,” or the chances of your product, service or client appearing at or near the top in search rankings. “There is a fairly persuasive argument that the single most important objective of most PR programmes should be to impact on the search ranking.” (p. 135)

Chapter 14, “Dodging bear traps,” is a cautionary discussion of the pitfalls of online communication, in particular accuracy of information found on the web, but also the imperative for transparency in communicating on behalf of a client. As has been proven countless times, impostors are inevitably found out, and liars are unmasked. “If you pretend to be someone you are not you will be unmasked and if you say something untrue it will be discovered.” (p. 161)

Although the challenges of online public relations are many, they are not insurmountable, says Brown. Creativity, a mainstay of any successful public relations campaign, remains a constant. “The best digital PR campaigns will create their own spaces on the internet, rather than relying solely on influencing or promoting the dissemination of ideas and information through…existing channels.” (p. 163)

Public Relations and the Social Web is a very useful, simply‐worded introduction to the facts and foibles of online communications…social media and web 2.0. It leaves the reader feeling reassured that becoming competent in this emerging technology is not impossible and could be, in fact, an exciting learning experience.