How social media has evolved in Public Relations

We are all very much big fans of social media here at JournoLink although it's been a while since we discussed the subject on our blog. It is important to sometimes reflect back on how much social media truly has helped changed our world and as such the world of Public Relations.

Press Releases

Creating a press release is very much the essence of public relations, created more than a 100 years ago now, it has since had amendments to adapt to modern times. The rise of the internet has seen the press release incorporate more features to it to make it more innovative such as integrating links to support images and audio. We’ve also seen the creation of specific social media press releases which connects online media to social networks. One thing is for certain, we are still using the same press release template from the beginning and the question is now how can we use the social media evolution to distribute it? PR professionals are immersing themselves with the different channels that are out there for example sending clients to a custom landing page or by using Twitter. Looking to the future and the evolution of social media it is expected there will be an increase in specific types of press releases such as; shorter and more concise press releases and those that use video formats.

If we think about it, press releases thrive on social media, the ability to share and interact with them has increased their exposure and transformed in a positive way.

Communication

Due to the social media evolution it has become a whole lot easier to keep informed and connected with those important to you, keeping the essence of forming relationships at the heart of PR. Twitter has really helped to bridge the gap between consumers and businesses, journalists and a business and the brand and its clients. Never before have people been closer. With more people having a ‘voice’ on social media sites it means that businesses are more engaging and are able to respond quicker to issues customers may have. Clients appreciate this ‘real-time’ response and create a stronger trust in a company or brand. The evolution of social media in the terms of communication isn’t just between a brand and its consumers but between PR professionals as well. Twitter, LinkedIn and so on are helping PR professionals share their own knowledge which really helps anyone who is seeking advice on a particular subject. Without the evolution of social media we wouldn’t have hashtags such as #PRTips constantly circulating our Twitter accounts containing such great advice!

With all this in mind, we must feel grateful for the evolution of social media as it has really worked out in our favour. It is certainly an advancement that will continue to grow, so we should all make the most of it and look forward to what’s to come next.

Written By: Claire Eggleshaw Redoutet, Marketing Intern

Claire is our blog and enewsletter editor, she fundamentally helps us maintain the more social media aspect of JournoLink. As a new member of the team, she hopes to gain experience whilst also helping us connect to the wider public.