Real Time Public Relations

Part five of “Share This” focuses on the importance of monitoring and measurement in social media. Phillip Sheldrake, author of chapter 17, emphases the importance of real-time public relations. In the public relations field, monitoring is simply not enough. You need to utilize real-time communication in order to keep up with your audience in the digital world. “Real Time Marketing and PR” by David Meerman Scott also focuses on the topic of real-time communication. Needless to say, reacting in real-time is not a want in todays society, but a need.

Public relations is the building and maintaining of mutually beneficial relationships. Communication needs to be two-way and symmetrical in order to be successful. Building and maintaining relationships is still important in public relations but other key tools have evolved over time. Social media, for example, has completely reinvented the public relations field. Social media allows conversations to play out in just seconds. Companies need to be able to react in real time and make decisions quickly and efficiently while engaging with users.

Social media allows companies to be the eyes, ears and mouths of the company. By monitoring and listening on social media, you are able to see first hand what your audience expects from you. By monitoring and listening to customers online, you are able to react and respond in real-time to customers. Being able to communicate with your audience establishes trust and credibility with your target audience.

As a public relations professional, you can potentially be in charge of your companies’ social presence. If so, remember transparency is essential in the digital world. Social media allows companies to become transparent and be a source for real-time information. You are no longer able to “fake it.” Your target audience will notice and move on to another company.

Social media is rapidly changing and will continue to do so. It is important as a future professional to stay with the trends and use social media as an advantage. By reacting in real-time, customers and companies have the opportunity to build mutually beneficial relationships.