The answer is a big “NO.” There is no way that social media have won over traditional media, especially when it comes to Lakeland public relations. Don’t be fooled by the hype. Just because a certain Twitter or Instagram account has millions of followers does not mean that it equates to good and successful PR. What social media do is to augment the efforts of the PR strategies. It serves as an amplifier, boosting the audience reach of the various PR tools being utilized.
It’s no wonder that people think social media are the better option than traditional media. If you commute to work, try to notice just how many people are glued to their smartphones. During lunchtime, you have surely witnessed groups of people tinkering with their phones than talking with their lunch buddies. What do you do before going to bed? Check your news feed, we’re sure. How about the moment you wake up? You hardly use the old alarm clock anymore. All you need is to check out the screen of your smartphone and open the various social media platforms you have to check what’s happening in the world.
Basically, traditional media have also transported most of its tools to social media. It’s not surprising at all that advertisers prefer social media than traditional media. But this is where PR firms draw the line. You cannot publish a press release on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Social media people hate boring stuff, and PRs are boring unless they are incorporated by journalists in controversial one-liner tweets and Facebook posts.
The better option is to tailor-fit your messages according to the platform you are going to use and the audience you are trying to reach. On Twitter, write a catchy sentence that would fit in the 107 characters allowed. Remember that you need to save 23 characters for your link. On Facebook and Tumblr, where you can actually write lengthy posts, resist the urge and write as if you are telling a friend why your announcement matters. Also on Facebook and Pinterest, find an accompanying photo that is related to the announcement you have. In platforms like Vine, make sure to shoot your own video using your smartphone. The video should be able to tell the audience exactly why your post matters.
This strategy is not the same with traditional media, where your quotes, your announcements, and your ideas will basically be part of a legitimate news piece. Your target market tends to believe the mainstream media much more than what they find on the internet. This is the reason why you should never isolate traditional media as part of your marketing and PR strategy.
