| As a Public Relations person, I've been wary of the | | | | more time-wasting and strutting than all the modes of |
| supposed ubiquity of the growing social media | | | | telecommunication invented before. But, don't suddenly |
| movement from the beginning. There is a lot of talk | | | | assume that signing up for a free account on these |
| about power to the people, the democratisation of | | | | services with the name of your organisation |
| media, and the need for companies and organisations | | | | automatically gives you plenty of free girl-scout cookie |
| to to subjugate themselves to the voice of the people | | | | points in the eyes of the audience you wish to talk too. |
| no matter what, because that's just how it is now. | | | | If anything the sheer mass of humanity on some of |
| I'm all for a friendly relationship with your customers | | | | these sites means you will spend an inordinate amount |
| and the users of your services, but to put so much | | | | of time finding the diamonds amongst the rough, and |
| stock in, and to give your life into the hands of such | | | | an even greater time dealing with the misbehaviour of |
| volatile platforms as Twitter and Facebook seems like | | | | some of the more bored members of the general |
| a foolhardy idea to me. | | | | public who often have no real interest or connection |
| I see the power of them as personal communication | | | | with your product or service offering. |
| tools and even as corporate communication tools, but | | | | When it comes to accepting online media as the |
| PR is about more than just communicating properly | | | | ultimate saviour of all your PR woes, I'd quote the old |
| and in a friendly manner with the people who matter to | | | | Latin: caveat emptor. Don't buy into these new media |
| your organisation. It's also about controlling the | | | | without making sure you know what you're getting into, |
| conversation so the the message that you wish to | | | | and more importantly, knowing whether the people you |
| disseminate into the general public or target audience | | | | want to talk to will appreciate your adventures on the |
| gets sent out in the right direction and saying the right | | | | internet. |
| thing. | | | | If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And also, if it's just not going |
| By all means use Twitter and Facebook, and | | | | to work for your particular case, don't bother. Evaluate |
| whatever other social sites on the internet you wish to. | | | | before you take the leap, and don't forget to ask that |
| They are fast becoming an essential component of | | | | all important why. |
| personal communications, even if one that is prone to | | | | |