18 Jun Evolve, Integrate And Measure Social Media; Don’t Get Stuck in the Trenches
The communications industry is in a state of flux. Social media is changing the way the industry operates; digital immigrant senior managers are finding themselves in the uncomfortable position where digital native account juniors have more knowledge about many of the new techniques than they do; and competition between agencies is at record levels, with inter-agency fighting on the increase. As a result, the industry’s reputation is at an all-time low.
This is the first in an ongoing series of weekly interviews with leading communications professionals on both sides of the Atlantic who see things differently. These individuals are all progressive, intelligent, knowledgeable and insightful, have my total respect, and want to address these issue head on. It is my belief that collectively and through collaboration and conversation these people can make a real difference in the communications industry. So on with the show…
——————————
I ‘met’ Lauren Fernandez a couple of months back and was immediately impressed by her intelligent approach to both social and conventional communications. A community manager for the specialist social media monitoring/engagement resource Radian6, Lauren’s blog, LAF, was named ‘Best Up and Coming’ in the 2009 PR Blog Awards. She is helpful, responsive, insightful and a fountain of knowledge on the social web. Lauren is a great example of the ‘new breed’ of communications pro taking the industry in a bright new direction. And she’s a Texas gal who says the word ‘awesome’ far too much for her own good.
Q: PR/comms always used to be about building relationships with the media and with influencers; as client demands have increased, has the industry lost that ability and become too competitive and too task focused?
A: Time management has been, and always will be, an integral part of PR. Agencies and corporates are having to downsize staff but still produce the same amount and quality of work. Building relationships will always be there even if the platform is shifting. It’s a natural thing – not something that is as focused on, but more of a constant in daily work. It’s a competitive industry, and as PR becomes more integrated with other departments, the branding model will shift.
Q: Is fear and/or a lack of understanding or knowledge responsible for the PR/comms industry not fully embracing new digital marketing tools such as Twitter and Facebook? And if so, what are we scared of?
A: Buy-in is always going to be a bit difficult for people that are super busy. If it takes time to learn and apply the method, its hard to change. “Don’t fix it if it isn’t broken” is a rampant mantra in this field. The thing is, those that continue to evolve, integrate and measure social media ROI are going to be leaders of the pack. We are seeing a shift from the traditional model, and those stuck in the trenches are losing clients with ease. As counsel to clients, one must be aware of trends, what’s happening and how to get it. You are training clients and expecting them to buy-in to something – so you have to practice, educate and execute.
Q: Digital media is changing the face of the communications industry and yet many CEOs and MDs in PR/comms agencies seem unwilling to learn the evolving skill sets needed to drive the industry forward. Do you feel that the onus is falling on individuals to take personal responsibility for their own learning and development in this area and, if so, is this a good or a bad thing?
A: CEOs and MDs are busy people. A specialist type model in an agency should be responsible for keeping them abreast of goings on; educating so that they want to learn; showing case studies and proving ROI; as well as any documents and research to back up why it is important. I don’t think it’s an unwillingness to learn. More so, it’s a very C-Suite mentality. If you can’t prove quantitative results, it won’t fly. PR’s traditional model is very qualitative focused, but we finally have a chance with social media to prove even more quantitative.
Q: The ‘new generation’ of PR/comms professionals, which is embracing the social web, appears to be far more collaborative and supportive than the more competitive and guarded old school. Do you feel that a chasm is emerging within the industry between the online community and those who are less progressive? And if so, what are the effects on the industry as a whole?
A: Generation Y (my generation) is very eager and driven to succeed by any means possible. We have research, intelligence and education opportunities at our fingertips – much more so than those who were in their 20s without the internet. With the social web, the playing field is level and gives many opportunities to collaborate. For everything we learn, we are also acknowledging. A thirst for knowledge in the form of more extensive case studies is a prime example.
Q: The PR/comms industry has a poor reputation for being ‘spin doctors’ and PR flacks. Who do you feel is best placed to build credibility, educate business owners and consumers, and change this reputation, and how do they go about it?
A: Instead of calling each other out for bad practices, focus on what you are doing right, how we are doing it right, and why it works. Highlight best practices of other agencies and individuals – if you think something is awesome, tweet it. Blog about it. SlideShare is a great tool to share presentations, but case studies and client testimonials also go a long way. If we focus on owning the industry rather than tearing down the competition, we could really change the mentality.
Q: With regard to the competition between PR agencies, specialist digital agencies and full service marketing agencies, how do you think things will play out over the next five or ten years? And what will happen to the PR/comms industry if things don’t change?
A: The ones that know their stuff will always prevail, dependent on their agency model. It’s a business world, one where agencies need to keep up with trends, educate and align themselves with talent to propel business forward. I think we will see a shift to more individualistic competition, rather than client – social media lets PRs be in the limelight and talk about their success, rather than being in the background. We compete for everything: story placement, clout in the industry, rankings/awards and how well we can build brands. The foundation thrives a bit on friendly competition – it’s all how its handled, approached and executed.
Keep track of this series of posts on The Flock Facebook page or by following the hashtag #flockfriday on Twitter.
tweetmeme_source = ‘ThePaulSutton’; tweetmeme_url = ‘http://tribalboogie.blogspot.com/2010/06/evolve-integrate-and-measure-social.html’;
Like This Post? Subscribe to Tribal Boogie
