I was reading a good book about the new rules of PR and Marketing last weekend, and it made me think how much the IMC field has evolved in less than five years. It made me a little sad that the science/art/business of PR has to play by new rules in order to be strategic. Most of all, I am sad because the lines between PR / Marketing / Advertising are once again blurred… even though we were so close to understanding their key differences. However, reality is now, and I find that the new rules for PR success are not unreasonable. Below are some that have stood out in my mind from my readings, and from my own experience so far:
- PR pros no longer pitch exclusively to media. The direct-to-consumer communication takeover is fueled by social media, taking up most of PR practitioners’ time and effort.
- Press releases aren’t dead; they are completely redefined as something similar to ”consumer releases.”
- The one-hit PR wonder on the Today Show, Oprah, TIME is pretty much a thing of the past. The trend of pitching to bloggers with SEO loaded text and the idea of offering up constant news in the online world is becoming more appealing for many companies. While everyone would love to have a Newsweek editorial endorsement, companies find it more strategic to appear in multiple (albeit lesser known) outlets where SEO is key.
- PR folks are changing their lingo. Terms such as fact sheet, media advisory, and broll are not necessarily common terms for everyone. The language of a “consumer release” is different than the structure of a traditional press release.
- Social media etiquette. All users should have this, but PR people should set the example as communication professionals. Uploading high-quality content that addresses the message well, while be open to comments and feeback is important.
There are other new rules and subrules to follow as we bypass the media filter and talk directly to consumers these days. These new rules are taking over quickly, and drastically changing the way we practiced in our field. If you are a PR person out there, I’m interested in hearing how you think this will affect your career.
Here’s my question: Do you still want to be in PR now that we’re asked to essentially morph into direct marketers, who happen to possess great writing skills, just so that we can publicize SEO content to users? Since everyone can become a journalist these days, how does that affect your practice, and will that also mean that everyone can become a self-proclaimed PR person? Has that already happened? Do your skills help you stand out in PR, or are you feeling the urge to reinvent yourself within the field?
Tags: gurus, high quality content, imc, marketing and pr, new rules of pr and marketing, pr branding, pr misconceptions, pr skills, pr writing skills, self-proclaimed pr people, seo content, the new press release
Glad you liked my book.
I think there is confusion between what is public relations and what is media relations. I wrote about that here http://bit.ly/9qlH49
David
Thanks for posting a link to your article! Clearly, MR is a tactic of PR. I think with the publishing pillars collapsing, the understanding of the “new” MR has confused many professionals… probably because it is still evolving
I am not a true PR professional yet, but YES I still consider this position very important and I am not afraid by the current changes in communication strategies.
I think all PR pros have to adapt themselves to their environment, and once in a while act as “direct marketers”. As long as we stand strongly and continue to make a clear difference between advertising, marketing and PR, this is where we will be the true professionals, as opposed to all social medias users.
At least I want to believe it.
In the above post, Didi essentially asks, who I am becoming because of what I do? I think the next couple of years are going to be defining years for PR, primarily because of advancements in social media technology and the related rise in grassroots ‘influencers.’ Thankfully, because the number of ‘influencers’ is increasing, as pointed out by Didi, there is more to do for PR professionals beyond media relations. Which I think is good.
In the business context, PR professionals are also playing a greater role in managing and influencing consumers. And I think it is natural for marketing departments to ask PR professionals to write direct product pitches, manage SEO for product lines, etc. For small business owners, PR professionals seem to be ideal for pushing products in the market place.
But do we want to be mere product pushers? My understanding is no; we are influencers with a much broader mandate. And it here that trained, experienced and reflective individuals like Didi will differentiate themselves from the untrained, inexperienced and non-reflective individuals practicing PR.
So keep up with the posts, Didi:)