There are fresh challenges in Lakeland public relations. The first one is the rise of social media platforms. The second is the coronavirus pandemic. How do these challenges affect the way marketers and business owners see the importance of public relations?
Rise of Social Media
Perhaps, there is nothing more challenging to the industry than the rise of social media channels. With the rapid access to easy information (whether true or fake), consumers have become more demanding of the speed by which they get to what they want. This has never been as evident as it is when there are PR crises facing the company.
Can you imagine facing a PR crisis right now? People will be all over you on social media in a few seconds. It takes one tweet to “cancel” a company. It takes one story—whether true or not doesn’t matter—to call for a boycott. That’s what it takes to ruin a reputation you’ve built so hard all these years.
That’s the biggest challenge to PR companies. They need to be able to respond to accusations, fake stories, and complaints as fast as possible. All these must be done accurately, too, which means that you have to decide and act fast while considering every side of the story.
Public Health Threat
The coronavirus pandemic has put massive pressure on PR companies. Never before has the industry questioned itself and how it will help its clients. The thing about a pandemic like this is you never know where you will begin. Should you begin by assuring the public that your company is stable enough to handle the pandemic? Do they even want to hear about the pandemic when every news outlet has been talking about it for months?
The rule of thumb is always to acknowledge things like this. Yes, even if it is uncomfortable for some. There is a way to make your message more comfortable than the news. While you must address how the pandemic is affecting you, what’s not right is to hash out on your website or social media what such impact will do to your business. That is not for your market to know.
Lakeland public relations is changing. There is no better or worse way to say it. The traditional methods we’re used to seeing in the past will not work in this new era anymore. Certainly, they will not work in the new normal or the life after coronavirus.
