2011 will be More Dificult if you're in PR

A recent survey of 508 PR professionals came out showing that 60% of respondents believed PR in 2011 will be more difficult than it was in 2010. The top two reasons for the increased hardships include budgets and the "dynamics of social media." We can all relate to budgets and budget cuts being a major reason due to one of the worst recessions this country has ever seen, but what about the dynamics of social media? For a second, think about all the other media challenges that could present themselves in the field of PR.

TV, radio, direct mail, publications, magazine covers, even email... they have all been done before. What marketers are struggling with currently are the "dynamics of social media" and its ever-changing state. Some of the questions that arise for PR professionals or marketers are how do I use social media? who is using social media? what are consumers talking about on the social web? what about my brand? what about my competitors brand? You can only find the answers to these questions if you're actively engaging in conversations everyday on the social web. A quote from the published survey article reads,

“Social media will be important for two reasons. First, because organizations have found through monitoring that social conversations will occur with or without their participation,” said Breakenridge. “Second, organizations found small victories through experimentation this year and will focus on improving those results next year.

What does this quote and the survey results tell us? Social media isn't going away, and if you're a marketer out there or are in charge of a brand, you need to take social media seriously. Social media is not a fad, it's a fundamental shift in the way we communicate. It's a fundamental shift in the way consumers see your brand, talk about your brand, promote your brand, talk bad about your brand...

"Organizations have found through monitoring that social conversations will occur with or without their participation."

You better start paying attention to what people are saying...

It's time for us marketers to start sinking our teeth into what social media can do for your company's brand, and position the brand in such a way that consumers are educated and moved by your brand in a positive way. Is this not PR 101?