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Did this get your attention?  OK, so let’s progress.

I recently attended a few industry conferences on leveraging “Public Relations in the Social Media Era.”  The sessions were eye-opening.  With a show of hands, it seems most of the 500 attendees, who were charged with managing their brands’ PR function, didn’t understand much about how to harness the power of Social Media or how to convince their executive management to engage in it. 

A prevailing theory shared with me follows: Social Media has enabled a two-way dialogue between brands and consumers.  However, many brands over the last 50 years grew accustomed to telling customers via one-way conversations (advertising, promotion, news releases) that their product or service was essential to the customers’ aspirations or success.  So, now there’s a disconnect.

Well, I’d like to share some of the new “truths” about re-connecting that I have heard from my recent travels.  And I hope they will be of some constructive use.

Truth #1: Social Media has put the “PUBLIC” back into Public Relations.

Years ago, PR consisted of community town hall meetings, public comment forums, press conferences, and other means that enabled public feedback, deeper questioning and public input. Back then, the public had some say and means of expressing their opinions and their voice could be heard.  But public dialogue was hard because you couldn’t easily reach the masses in a personalized way.  So, the press release took over and gave birth to one-way dialogue and allowed brands to merely issue holding statements on issues instead of getting in front of customers and listening to what they had to say. 

This is an exaggeration but you get the point.  Then the Internet arrived and Social Media soon exploded.  Now everyone has a say in your business affairs and consumers are in charge of your brands’ reputation and companies are in a responsive mode -- catering to the interests of their customers once again.  Not a bad thing….

Truth #2: “Every day is ELECTION DAY.” 

I heard this statement and it resonated with me since I once worked in politics.  If brands want to effectively communicate and engage with their customers, they need to get into a campaign mindset and determine how to get “elected” every day by consumers, shareholders, employees, etc.  This mindset requires the willingness to conduct a dialogue with your stakeholders. 

Find that common interest or common ground you have with your customers – determine what’s the breadth of your relationships with your customers?—what emotional connection do they have with your brand or CEO?  -- and then leverage it.  Listen, chat about it and let the conversation grow.  If you want to win (the election), you have to play.  (Okay, yes, that’s a tagline from the NY State Lottery but it obviously was effective and memorable, and it underscores the point.)

Truth #3: LISTENING is more important than talking. 

Who da thunk?  This seems to be a revelation to us communicators who are expected to jump-start discussions and then deliver the pitch.  But, lest we  remember, we’re in a new era where customers have a large share of voice and they are talking back.  So, it’s probably better that we listen to what they are saying first and then jump in. 

Let’s test this theory (some sarcasm intended here; my dad was British so sometimes I let loose….) Testing the theory here:  Imagine going to a party, walking into a roomful of strangers and telling your date:  “Get out there and say something?”  Not very effective -- unless you’re Jim Carrey.  Rather, we’d ease up alongside a group, listen to what they are discussing and choose a tactful means of joining the conversation.  PR in the Social Media era is no different.  Use the “listening posts” that your Social Media experts (or ours) know all about.  Use them to better understand what conversations you should be monitoring and participating in.

Truth #4:  In times of CRISIS, your stakeholders consume, process and use information differently – they are more emotionally engaged. 

As a result, using IMAGES in times of crisis are more effective than words (that dreaded news release again).  So, getting your CEO on video to explain what’s happening, how your addressing the crisis and what to expect is key – post it to YouTube, your website, link it in email blasts, used paid search to drive traffic to your video, and, yes, add hyperlinks to your video in your news releases.  Video is visual and allows you to convey trust, express empathy, to show respect for your stakeholders needs and demonstrate that you’re taking action.


So these are some of the basic truths that I have heard about from experts in Social Media, Public Relations and Stakeholder Communications.  I think they make sense and seem reasonable.  Nothing appears too hard to grasp here in my view.  I asked some of the conference presenters why so many peers face challenges in embracing Social Media.  To these questions, I was presented another truth.  You cannot learn or recommend anything unless you personally first make an effort to try it yourself first and understand it. Seems reasonable. 

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