Social Media and Mainstream Media - The New Communication Paradigm - Part II

In my last post I promised to talk about the rules of using social media in corporate communications/PR. So in sticking to my promise, here we go. Bear in mind this is my view, and I welcome your comments on what I have to say.

Old-school corporate communications/PR is a one-lane highway leading to the media. In an earlier post (The Art of Effective Pitching: Relevance & Relationship) I detailed the best communication practices to the media so I won't be covering that here.

The new PR model is a two-lane highway - one lane for the media and one lane for direct-to-consumer (i.e., social media) communication. The rules for using social media as a corporate communication vehicle are different from those used with the media.

The first step in using social media for corporate communications/PR is to identify your target audience. Perhaps your target is consumers who buy your products. Next, you must gain credibility with your target audience. To gain credibility with your target audience you must first become part of that audience. Join the relevant target groups on social media sites like StumbleUpon, LinkedIn and Facebook, to name a few. Be completely transparent - make sure the group members know who you are. Read posts from group members, and where applicable contribute to the conversation with something RELEVANT. Don't under any circumstances enter the conversation by promoting your product.

Let's say, for example, you represent a company that builds recreational vehicles (RVs). So you join the RV Enthusiasts group on LinkedIn. A group member posts a question to other members about how to improve gas mileage. Instead of pounding the group over the head with your client's newest RV, you would be better served to educate the group. Respond with generic tips and advice about how to improve gas mileage in an RV. Even better, get an engineer from your client to write up a list. Include a link to a page on your client's Web site (or another source) which lists other tips about how to increase gas mileage. Make absolutely sure not to link to a product page. You promised the reader tips on saving gas so make sure you deliver on that promise. This gives you credibility as a relevant source of information, and it drives traffic to your clients' Web site. Building credibility is important because it positions you as a relevant resource of information - not just a product pusher.

I know I am using the word relevant a lot. But people join social media groups because the group is relevant to their life. Cat lovers, motorcycle riders, woodworkers - whatever your interest there is a social media group of people sharing content. So going back to my RV example, let's say one of the group members from the RV Enthusiasts group forwards your tips (with the link to your clients' site) to a friend who posts it on his blog about RVs. With the push of one forward button your tips/advice could reach hundreds, if not thousands, of readers depending on the blog. And if the blog ranks high in search engines your content, complete with the link to your clients' Web site, could wind up reaching millions. Welcome to viral marketing.

I am scrapping just the tip of the social media iceberg. If I learned anything from listening to webinars on social media and reading The New Rules of Marketing & PR (David Meerman Scott), I learned that content is king. Identify your target audience, engage the audience with authenticity (don't forget to be transparent) and relevant content.

Social media has changed the corporate communications/PR landscape. Make no mistake, the media is still a critical audience for you and/or your clients' messages. But you must incorporate social media into your PR efforts to reach and forge a relationship with your target audience.