How Twitter is Changing Public Relations

Title: How Twitter is Changing Public Relations

Retrieved from: http://smedio.com/2010/06/28/how-twitter-is-changing-public-relations/

The latest trend in new media technology that public relations practitioners are currently using to connect and build relationships with the public is Twitter. It's a communication tool that is considered to be simple as it provides a service of micro-blogging that uses 140 characters per message. This article discusses on how Twitter could revamp the world of public relations as it provides a platform to maintain good public relations between an organization and its publics.

The article started with the notion that public relations have defied all the predictions and views of social media analysts by stating that public relations is alive and kicking especially with the emergence of Twitter where according to the writer, has minimized the gap between social media and the public relations industry. Twitter has redefined the techniques being used in public relations as it can communicate to a wider audience through the distribution of traditional public relations tools such as press releases or promoting the organization's events in a faster rate.

Apart from that, Twitter is widely used by the public relations practitioners working in major organizations ranging from Starbucks, Ford Motors, McDonald's, Dell and PepsiCo where they are using Twitter to instantaneously answer the customers' questions about the organization and to market and promote their products or services. Public relations practitioners should also be aware that Twitter can be a site which could provide the information on the public's likes or dislikes of the products or services. It is especially important in the world of branding where the success and failure of a brand is determined on how proactive the public relations practitioners communicate with the public through influencing the customers to be more supportive and loyal to the product or service.

Finally, the article discussed on how Twitter could educate the public relations practitioners through following and communicating with the public which ranges from the organization's customers, adversaries or those who are considered to be key influence leaders in Twitterverse. Those who are working in public relations must always take the initiative to learn what the public wants and needs and learn new ideas and innovations that could improve the organization he or she is working for. Twitter is a great asset for any organization especially in its public relations strategy where it provides a stage to build new and lasting relationships, neutralize crisis communication between the public and the organization and finally create and promote publicity campaigns, products and services.

As with any social media tools, Twitter can also pose a threat to those who are using it. Present and future public relations practitioners should be aware that Twitter can be a complicated and dangerous communication tool as it could speed up any harmful information leaks and destroys an organization's reputation due to its immediacy and volume nature. This could be avoided if the public relations practitioners as well as the leaders of a company create an employee code of conduct while using Twitter where it could educate the employees on what they can or cannot write on the site.

By,

Asil Binti Esaam Ghebllawi

2009267218