The Social Media Side of Public Relations

How do social media change the public relations process? Can you think of an example of how social media content has helped or hurt an organization? Why do you think this happened?

One of the most recognizable names in the world, Bill Gates, said, “If I was down to my last dollar, I would spend it on public relations.” I think that says a lot about the importance of PR. Social media is a game changer in the public relations realm. When chaos ensues, they have a medium to immediately get statements to consumers. Social media also makes it possible to constantly converse with customers in real time.

It’s important to remember that public relations involves so much more than just damage control. As far as a company that utilizes social media well for public relation purposes, I’d say Starbucks does a good job. They have holiday promotions, Starbucks rewards, and also practice cross promotion through multiple social media outlets, such as Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. This practice allows the company to reach prospective customers through different mediums.

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hire public relations officers.” -Daniel J. Boorstin