PR 101 - The importance of PR in the age of social media

The pandemic has made public relations (PR) difficult. Many companies or agencies have had to change the way they communicate to their audience. In times like these, as people continue to increase their time spent on digital media, they’re more likely turn to social media for news. However, in the past few years, fake news has become an everyday expression, and a major part of any discourse around the media. What about using PR to combat misinformation and disinformation? That's our main topic in this issue.

The New Way of Doing Public Relations

Public relations perform its various key functions in organizations, including corporate communications, marketing communications, media relations, and PR events/conferences. Since social media adoption rates are growing within this generation, digital PR and online marketing are now being incorporated into the PR landscape.

Traditional PR in the early 20th century was centered on traditional media, such as print papers, TVs, and radios. This ranged from the basics of writing and releasing editorials and in-depth report management to a wide variety of press conferences, launch meetings and offline events. The ultimate goal of public relations is to strive for an advantageous channel for clients to publicize through the management of media, especially the core and key media.

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Photo credit | taodigitalmarketing.com

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From 2006 to 2007, with the rise of new media, the number of media resources available to the industry increased rapidly, and digital public relations was also carried out across the Internet. The proportion of interactive marketing gradually increased in comparison to the traditional idea of publishing. Simply put, in the new media era, press releases are required to deliver content in line with the tone of each company, brand or even product, together with the public preferences and hot topics. It is necessary to set up its own social media accounts, form a visual tone and copywriting style, organize online activities, and establish a fan management system.
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In the past decades, digital transformation and adoption have been at the forefront of every sector and industry. This transition to digital has a huge impact on traditional media. Reacting to the shift of the industry, some traditional media tried to adapt their strategy by creating a digitalized version of their offering. For example, TV channels offer an online broadcast of their programs and newspapers has a website with all their articles.

Communication Challenges in PR

When PR is no longer the preferred way to reach the public, many enterprises begin to focus on self-owned media, websites, and KOL/Influencer as the key to communication mix and spending a lot of money on content partnerships to get "soft-sell advertising" out there. Initially, the public was attracted to and resonated with the voices of individuals, believing that "personal stories" were more reliable and credible.​

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​Instagram adds 'disinformation' notification to curb the spread of fake news.                                   

Photo credit | usatoday.com

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However, with competition in the industry, some news stories gradually became more commercialized. These stories may be propaganda that is intentionally designed to mislead the reader or may be designed as “clickbait” written for economic incentives (the writer profits on the number of people who click on the story). In recent years, fake news stories have proliferated via social media, in part because they are so easily and quickly shared online.

With the rapid rise of new media platforms, many "fake" news and invalid information emerge in an endless stream. So why is Public Relations, far from being obsolete, but more valuable than ever? 

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A poster warning of fake Covid-19 news spreading online (Hanoi, Vietnam).

Photo credit | Kham / Reuters

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The Value of Press Releases

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​"Leader of Modern PR" Ivy Ledbetter Lee (1877-1934)

Photo source | google.com

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One of the earliest press releases in history originated from a public relations crisis. In 1906, one of the modern founders of modern public relations, Ivy Ledbetter Lee (1877-1934) helped solved a major rail accident of Pennsylvania Railroad.  Lee not only convinced the railroad to distribute a press release to journalists before they heard rumors about what had happened, he also invited reporters and photographers to the scene of the accident, going so far as to provide a special train to get them there. The moves won paise from newspapers and public officials for its openness and honesty. Ivy lee believed that a company should try to win public trust and “good will” by honestly and accurately presenting its position.
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Reliable information is the cornerstone of communication or publicity. As a publicist, marketing and branding personnel of the enterprise, the most basic role is to communicate internally and externally to ensure that the company's message is delivered correctly and effectively. However, the most effective means of public relations is the official press release, which is a basic tool for companies to deliver news information and tell stories. It can be timely news events, unique views, or a vivid story behind the birth of a product. Press releases not only convey information, but also "set the tone" for enterprises and products in the various voices of social media, allowing people to search for the "official" and reliable version among the various opinions.

Balancing public relations with new media

Photo credit | open2digital.com

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​It is better for the company to establish itself as an authoritative “KOL” and establish its influence in a specific field, rather than being criticized by the outside world. Enterprises can use the idea of “long tail” public relations to expand the malleable output of valuable ideas, stories or knowledge using their own social media and external channels on various platforms.

​The idea of “long tail” public relations is that as press releases, blog reviews, social media buzz and other content is created and published on the internet for your brand, it becomes part of a network of interconnected information. This network allows people who are interested in your brand to have the opportunity to find this information long after its initial release. But the premise is that companies should continue to provide authoritative, accurate, and persuasive content to protect and build public trust.

Remember, the audience reached by any channel is limited. Therefore, companies in the positioning mix of communication need to have different functional distinctions and focus. Any communication channel, tool, platform, are not a single existence, but rather complementary.

Reference：

• https://www.prnasia.com/blog/archives/20590
• https://www.prnasia.com/blog/archives/20605
• https://www.prdaily.com/in-the-age-of-social-media-why-are-press-releases-still-necessary/#:~:text=Job%20Board-,In%20the%20age%20of%20social%20media,are%20press%20releases%20still%20necessary%3F&text=A%20press%20release%20not%20only,communications%2C%20particularly%20for%20B2B%20companies.
• https://www.vemedia.me/index.php/2021/07/27/1034