There's obviously something in the air - I just blogged on this very subject this week (in French) after meeting with the head of a marketing agency who was asking himself this very question. Is it worthwhile for a communications agency to wade into social media if any Tom-Dick-or-Harry can run a campaign? Yes. Because he can't. Not really. As you say, the expertise a PR consultant can bring goes beyond access to free online tools. Thanks for spelling it out. I'll amend by blog post to send some anglo traffic your way. Cheers Michelle

It is not the technology but the people that are in focus. Public Relations would continue to be there till there are people in this world. Technology will be only an enabling factor.

Great points...I recently wrote a post on a similar subject, but even in a broader sense. With the onset of all the technological tools available to anyone out there, there seems to a trend these days for people to simply learn how to use the tools and calling themselves experts. Tools without creative talent are pretty useless. Knowing how to hit a nail with a hammer doesn't make you a carpenter. Just the same, knowing how to put a page up on twitter, doesn't make you a PR/Social Media Guru.

Here's the key line (IMO) to your entire argument, Dave: "Mainstream media dismissed the emergence of online media only to realize later that they had missed a seismic change in their industry. PR also needs to evolve." Without proactively evolving (and the proactive part is really the key here), PR will end up exactly like the legacy media industry, and before that, the music industry, with its head completely in the sand, staring a problem right in the face and refusing to budge, all the while, everything and everyone else in the world moves right past it. Like both of those aforementioned beleaguered industries, PR faces an immense challenge now, one that those of us who work in the business must commit ourselves to correcting and moving forward. Just like the music industry in the late-1990s when Napster first came on board, we have all of the tools at our disposal and we know what SHOULD be done, but we can't be like the music industry: we can't keep fighting it, and we can't blame it on others. The impetus to change, to evolve and to help prosper PR lies squarely on us. Keith Trivitt @KeithTrivitt

Dave, Thanks for this important post. I agree with you - and have written about this same discussion in the past on our blog: http://bit.ly/9spXV Social media is a means of communication. It doesn't make one automatically strategic, good at marketing and PR or sales. Does using WebEx make you a conferencing expert? Does buying a new filet knife make you a master chef? No. And using social media tools doesn't make you a great communicator or a PR expert. More excerpts from my past opinions on this include: Popularity or activity in social media communities – how to grow a Twitter following, how to share information faster, how to create and post videos, and more – does not equate to an expert understanding of how to build a lifelong brand, what creates brand loyalty, or how to create an integrated communications strategy for building relationships with both internal and external audiences. A strategy that should support – and positively impact – the long-term corporate goals of a business. Yes, social media is changing the face of PR, marketing and advertising. Absolutely, social media should be a part of these important business efforts. The key phrase here is “a part of these efforts.” Social media is just one of the elements of “managing the flow of information between an organization and its publics.” Thanks again for raising the issue - I have a feeling it isn't one that will go away anytime soon. Christine Perkett PerkettPR, Inc. http://www.twitter.com/missusP http://www.twitter.com/PerkettPR http://www.perkettprsuasion.com

With the advent of social media, PR agencies are needed more than ever on the "issues management" side of the business. The speed and reach of social media can take a company down in a matter of hours. If PR agencies aren't embracing and understanding the impact of social media, they're doing a disservice to their clients.

Absolutely not. What SM does is make PR professionals and PR agencies realize that they need to be contstantly honing their craft. There are agencies that know and understand SM and there are agencies that don't grasp the concept yet. That being said, I think those goes back to the idea that SM is not the be-all end-all. I think a lot of folks are jumping on the SM bandwagon and bringing their entire wardrobe. At #journchat Live MN, we discussed that it's key in today's environment to be extremely well-rounded. Learn everything you can. With that thought, there are a lot of reasons why agencies are still around - certain things they do are simply better than what 1 person can achieve. Agencies are here to stay - they must evolve. PR is here to stay - it must evolve.

I agree. But, let me add, those who use social media instead of hiring public relations professionals probably wouldn't opt for a PR rep anyway. Truly professional entertainers and businesses do not deny their need for a public relations officer.

I'll second your assessment of "No". However, I'd look to a lot more social media agencies shifting gears into more PR related pursuits as time goes on. It's easier to go in reverse and pick up capabilities then to forge new ones. Should be an interesting few years.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Very well thought out post. Love this line, "Mainstream media dismissed the emergence of online media only to realize later that they had missed a seismic change in their industry. PR also needs to evolve." You got it :)

Great post. I really like your line, "Social media doesn't mean everyone can do public relations." This is where the PR industry has an opportunity to utilize SM platforms to do the job even better. Which brings me to my other favorite part of your post - these tools (and yes, they are only tools) are a natural fit for our industry. Now, we can package the story in so many ways and optimize it for conversation, getting the story heard and retold by its intended audience.

There's obviously something in the air - I just blogged on this very subject this week (in French) after meeting with the head of a marketing agency who was asking himself this very question.

Is it worthwhile for a communications agency to wade into social media if any Tom-Dick-or-Harry can run a campaign?

Yes. Because he can't. Not really. As you say, the expertise a PR consultant can bring goes beyond access to free online tools.

Thanks for spelling it out. I'll amend by blog post to send some anglo traffic your way.

Cheers

Michelle

It is not the technology but the people that are in focus. Public Relations would continue to be there till there are people in this world. Technology will be only an enabling factor.

Great points...I recently wrote a post on a similar subject, but even in a broader sense. With the onset of all the technological tools available to anyone out there, there seems to a trend these days for people to simply learn how to use the tools and calling themselves experts. Tools without creative talent are pretty useless. Knowing how to hit a nail with a hammer doesn't make you a carpenter. Just the same, knowing how to put a page up on twitter, doesn't make you a PR/Social Media Guru.

Here's the key line (IMO) to your entire argument, Dave: "Mainstream media dismissed the emergence of online media only to realize later that they had missed a seismic change in their industry. PR also needs to evolve."

Without proactively evolving (and the proactive part is really the key here), PR will end up exactly like the legacy media industry, and before that, the music industry, with its head completely in the sand, staring a problem right in the face and refusing to budge, all the while, everything and everyone else in the world moves right past it.

Like both of those aforementioned beleaguered industries, PR faces an immense challenge now, one that those of us who work in the business must commit ourselves to correcting and moving forward. Just like the music industry in the late-1990s when Napster first came on board, we have all of the tools at our disposal and we know what SHOULD be done, but we can't be like the music industry: we can't keep fighting it, and we can't blame it on others. The impetus to change, to evolve and to help prosper PR lies squarely on us.

Keith Trivitt
KeithTrivitt

Dave,

Thanks for this important post. I agree with you - and have written about this same discussion in the past on our blog: http://bit.ly/9spXV

Social media is a means of communication. It doesn't make one automatically strategic, good at marketing and PR or sales. Does using WebEx make you a conferencing expert? Does buying a new filet knife make you a master chef? No. And using social media tools doesn't make you a great communicator or a PR expert.

More excerpts from my past opinions on this include:

Popularity or activity in social media communities u00e2u0080u0093 how to grow a Twitter following, how to share information faster, how to create and post videos, and more u00e2u0080u0093 does not equate to an expert understanding of how to build a lifelong brand, what creates brand loyalty, or how to create an integrated communications strategy for building relationships with both internal and external audiences. A strategy that should support u00e2u0080u0093 and positively impact u00e2u0080u0093 the long-term corporate goals of a business.

Yes, social media is changing the face of PR, marketing and advertising. Absolutely, social media should be a part of these important business efforts. The key phrase here is u00e2u0080u009ca part of these efforts.u00e2u0080u009d Social media is just one of the elements of u00e2u0080u009cmanaging the flow of information between an organization and its publics.u00e2u0080u009d

Thanks again for raising the issue - I have a feeling it isn't one that will go away anytime soon.

Christine Perkett
PerkettPR, Inc.
http://www.twitter.com/missusP
http://www.twitter.com/PerkettPR
http://www.perkettprsuasion.com

With the advent of social media, PR agencies are needed more than ever on the "issues management" side of the business. The speed and reach of social media can take a company down in a matter of hours. If PR agencies aren't embracing and understanding the impact of social media, they're doing a disservice to their clients.

Absolutely not. What SM does is make PR professionals and PR agencies realize that they need to be contstantly honing their craft. There are agencies that know and understand SM and there are agencies that don't grasp the concept yet.

That being said, I think those goes back to the idea that SM is not the be-all end-all. I think a lot of folks are jumping on the SM bandwagon and bringing their entire wardrobe. At #journchat Live MN, we discussed that it's key in today's environment to be extremely well-rounded. Learn everything you can. With that thought, there are a lot of reasons why agencies are still around - certain things they do are simply better than what 1 person can achieve.

Agencies are here to stay - they must evolve. PR is here to stay - it must evolve.

I agree. But, let me add, those who use social media instead of hiring public relations professionals probably wouldn't opt for a PR rep anyway. Truly professional entertainers and businesses do not deny their need for a public relations officer.

I'll second your assessment of "No". However, I'd look to a lot more social media agencies shifting gears into more PR related pursuits as time goes on. It's easier to go in reverse and pick up capabilities then to forge new ones. Should be an interesting few years.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Very well thought out post.

Love this line, "Mainstream media dismissed the emergence of online media only to realize later that they had missed a seismic change in their industry. PR also needs to evolve."

You got it :)

Great post. I really like your line, "Social media doesn't mean everyone can do public relations." This is where the PR industry has an opportunity to utilize SM platforms to do the job even better. Which brings me to my other favorite part of your post - these tools (and yes, they are only tools) are a natural fit for our industry. Now, we can package the story in so many ways and optimize it for conversation, getting the story heard and retold by its intended audience.