Synopsis: PR has dramatically changed and the ways to reach the public have radically shifted. The world of social media, blogging, and online communication has created a new era of personal reporting, what is sometimes referred to as citizen journalism. Savvy businesses and entrepreneurs no longer speak to or at their audience or target market, they speak with them.

Yes PR still means public relations, but the definition of the term has broadened. It is now about building a personal relationship. Traditional PR is more important that ever; it is the only form of marketing that offers you the validation and credibility of being featured in the media. It also establishes you as an expert in your field and is the most effective brand building tool available.

PR has also dramatically changed. The world of social media, blogging, and online communication has created a new era of personal reporting, what is sometimes referred to as citizen journalism. Although it usually has very little in common with true journalism, which includes research and third party vetting, it has become a very powerful form of communication.

The internet has not only changed how we market, but how we communicate. Social media sites offer (at least the illusion of) personal one-on-one communication. There is a much more intimate relationship that is formed. Now anyone with a computer can post information and that information can affect a company and a brand. The net is a much more democratic information system, but the real shift is in the style and tone of the communication. Whereas print, TV and radio are still incredibly important, people are now also used to being spoken to directly. The internet is perhaps the closest we’ve come to a physical manifestation of the collective subconscious. Unlike previous forms of one-way communication, such as TV, newspapers and radio, the net is a free flowing system. To be effective in this new information terrain, people need more than a modified promotional approach, they need a marketing transformation. They need to redefine how to market on a very basic level.

Savvy businesses and entrepreneurs no longer speak to or at their audience or target market, they speak with them. They personalize their message and their approach. Companies and PR professionals now need to treat customers and potential customers in the same way they treat the media. They need to build a Personal Relationship, and as in any effective relationship, there needs to be respect, as well as open and timely communication.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2009

Tags: business, marketing, media, pr, public relations, social media, target market

This entry was posted on Friday, December 18th, 2009 at 12:38 am and is filed under Business, Marketing, Media, PR, Social Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.