The public relations departments have to be on top of all the marketing trends. The internet has really changed the way that PR works. Now a person working in PR has to know how to use the internet properly to market a business and how to stay ahead of the competition.
Social Media
Every day there are millions of people all over the world that visit social media site. Some of the most popular social media sites include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and many others. It is important that a company make their presence known on these sites. They should create a page that has all the information about the company, their mission statement, so pictures of the good and services that they offer, and ways to contact them. It is important that the social media sites are updated often. They should be updated several times as week to keep visitors coming back. The PR office will need to find content that is relevant and make it interesting and appealing to visitors. They also need to respond to comments within a 24 hour time period. Customers want to feel valued and they do not like to wait. Just managing social media alone can be a full time job for someone in the PR department.
Reach Millions of People
The PR office can advertise to millions of people with just one post. While every company does have their target audience to market to the PR office wants to make as many people as possible aware of the company. Online marketing including social media will allow the company to reach millions of people all over the world with just one post, picture, or update. This is much easier and more effective than putting together a television or radio campaign for advertisements. It is also more cost effective as well.
Bypass the Gatekeeps
Often the PR office has to work with a middle man such as a reporter for the newspaper or someone else in order to reach potential customers. The internet allows them to bypass this person and communicate directly with the customers themselves. This can save both time and money. It will also allow the PR rep to answer the customer directly which will help avoid any confusion.
These are some ways that the internet has changed the way that the public relations office operated. With the use of technology and more and more people going online the PR office has to be able to keep up with these changes to successfully market their company.