Over the last few years, the field of Public Relations as gone a complete transformation. Due to the advancement in technology and evolution in digital marketing, the PR agencies have changed their strategies. The growth of the various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram has resulted in a complete change in the PR industry.
Social media has changed the way messages are communicated and reached out to the targeted and potential customers. As millennials are interested in social media platforms and spend a considerable amount of time indulging in social media activities, the businesses have also changed to suit their expectations and preferences. But the question that arises in our mind is whether these social media platforms have been a boon or a bane for the PR firms. Let’s check out how social media has changed the landscape of the PR industry.
Driven Two-Way Communication
Social Media has opened a lot of opportunities and chances for businesses to grow and develop. Earlier, it was difficult for PR agencies to communicate their message to the targeted audience. The process was either expensive or time taking. Now with the help of social media platforms, the PR agencies in India and around the world can reach out to every potential customer and even understand their choice and preferences. These agencies now have the liberty to engage with customers through Facebook or YouTube and share content accordingly.
The PR agencies can also understand the reaction and feedback of the users through likes and comments. This has made it easier for the entire industry to make products as per the needs of the consumers and consistently improve them so that they provide no room for customer complaints. One complaint against the brand on social media platforms can tarnish the hard-earned reputation of the brand and the company. This has made the agencies more cautious when it comes to promoting their products and services. Thus, two-way communication has been effective for the growth of the PR industry because the response now is fast and effective.
Encouraging Customer Focus And Greater Engagement
Just a few years ago, the PR companies found it difficult to sustain in the competitive market because they had no understanding of what the consumer wants and likes. They failed in making products that are liked by the customers. However, nowadays because of the various social media channels, the PR agencies can track the customers and understand their likes and dislikes.
This has made it feasible for them to make products as per the needs of the consumers and promote the same. In this way, they have focussed more on consumer’s demands and choices and less on advertisements.
Focussing on consumers is not the ultimate solution. Once you understand what your customers want, it is essential to connect with them and develop a strong bond simultaneously. This is possible by engaging with them effectively like chatting with them, dropping them an email, or a text. This helps the consumers understand the development of the product its features and the advantages.
If you are not engaging with the customers on a daily basis and not informing them about product development, they will lose interest in their brand. Therefore, it becomes essential for PR firms to consistently connect with the consumers and develop products as per their needs and choices to shine in the competitive market.
Citizen Journalism
Social Media has given the ordinary men and women along with brands and companies to share their opinions and thoughts. This has resulted in broadening the definition of journalism and resulting in strong influencers for brands as well as various PR professionals to work together. Pitching to the journalists is effective, but doing that only is not the ultimate solution. This will not let your brand outshine the others. As a result, businesses now have joined hands with various influencers both micro and macro to reach out to the vast audience.
Social media has helped in creating various contacts for multiple brands that include all kinds of experts, bloggers, vloggers as well as contributors. When brands are successful in collaborating with these famous influencers, they are able to create meaningful relationships that further help them to strengthen their competitive edge and product line.
Social Media has also enabled brands with impressive outlets in order to communicate a vital message. These particular channels are not only evolving but are also creating exceptional, quality, and compelling content to reach out to the world. Brands have also simultaneously identified the importance of these channels and are consistently investing more time and energy so that they are at the helm of their competitors and are able to lead the world with exceptional products and services.
The Bottom-Line
By now, we have understood how social media has changed the PR industry and its works. Due to social media platforms, brands now can connect with the audience 24*7. This has helped the brands to understand what their customers want and what kind of products will help them to earn the profit. These products are not only reached out to the customers by pitching to the media houses but also reach out to the influencers.
As millennials have developed a trust in these influencers, promoting your brand through them is one of the best solutions currently. Influencer marketing can be costly for a few companies. In such a case, you can reach out to the macro influencer, offer them your products, or provide them with discounts so that they agree to promote your brands. You can also in return promote their page and blog as a nice gesture.
All these little things can help your brand acquire the most desirable position. Apart from these, creating compelling content is important. If your content is boring with no proper hashtags and taglines, the audience will lose interest in your brand. Therefore, it becomes necessary for you to create the best content so that the audience gain trust in you and your hard work.
