The Bitter Pill about Social Media

Much has been said about how social media is changing the way we communicate, but perhaps not enough is being said about the potential dangers of using it as a PR tool.

At the PR agency where I work, we were looking to expand our digital services to encompass social media engagement - as I'm sure most companies are wanting to do at this time. There is no denying that social media is changing the way we do business - it is almost a given today that a successful PR campaign must incorporate a social media element.

One advantage of using blogs, Facebook and Twitter is instantaneous communication. An organisation can answer queries from customers and provide updates about new products or services in mere minutes. The medium also allows for more intimate relationships. You can become a fan of the Malaysian Prime Minister in Facebook, for example, and follow his every move and thought in real time - something you can't do with traditional media.

One shouldn't overlook the possible pitfalls, however. A prominent Malaysian blogger had multiple run-ins with PR people, and made no secret of it in his blog. You have to read his funny but scathing accounts here and here. He says:          

PR agencies seem to automatically assume every reasonably popular blogger is a 'pro-blogger' or something and we don't need to work - we just sit around at home waiting eagerly for their shitty press releases and event invites.

It's not like that, and the sooner YOU poorly informed PR hacks educate yourselves the sooner you will reap real benefits from engaging bloggers and forming relationships with them.

David Lian, popular local blogger and PR consultant, had this piece of advice:

...don't think the blogger owes you anything just because they attended your event. The onus is on you, the company and the PR person advising the company, to make sure what you've got to tell the blogger is worth the blogger re-telling, if coverage is your goal.

If you want an example of how social media can be used AGAINST a corporation, look no further than Dave Carroll's United Airways YouTube video that went viral and currently has close to eight million viewers. While Dave became a YouTube sensation, United Airways inherited a PR disaster.

In a nutshell, we need to tread with caution when it comes to using social media for PR and marketing. Consumers can easily sniff out insincere, money-hungry companies trying to invade their personal social networks for profit. We must never take our stakeholders for fools.

Cheers,
John.