This presentation is for a class in PR in the Age of Social Media. It gives an overview of PR, looks at the differences between PR and advertising, shows how to write a press release, and discusses social media and PR.

1. PR Strategies
for the
Social Media Age
Presented by Dr. Marla Lowenthal

2. Social Media

3. • What's the difference between social
media and electronic media?
• How is social media changing how we
communicate?
• How, specifically, might a new business
use social media?

4. Electronic communication is any communication
done electronically. All social media are part of
electronic communication, but not all electronic
communication is social media.

5. Social media are electronic media that transform passive
audiences into active participants in the communication
process by allowing them to share content, revise content,
respond to content, or contribute new content.

6. In short, social media is a conversation supported
by online tools.

7. Tools such as these:
Facebook
YouTube
Twitter
LinkedIn
Flickr
Digg
Delicious

8. Facebook, a social networking site, is the #1 website
worldwide with more page views than Google
33% of Facebook users are fans of brands – the #1 reason:
To get special offers and promotions.
8

9. But large companies aren’t the only ones using social media.
Thousands of small companies are using social media too.

10. Artisan Flavors Ice Cream Shop, a recently opened and
independently owned ice cream store with the
ice cream made on the premises used the following:
• Videos (YouTube, Vimeo) • Photos (Flickr)
• Podcasts (iTunes) • Conversations (Twitter, Facebook)
• Press Releases (PRNewswire) • Blogs (WordPress, Blogger)
• Maps (Google) • Yelp (Reviews)

11. HOW HAVE SOCIAL
MEDIA CHANGED
PUBLIC RELATIONS?

12. PR PEOPLE USE MORE
SOCIAL MEDIA THAN OTHER
MARKETING/COMMUNICATION
PROFESSIONALS.

13. Approximately 70 percent of all social
media programs are being driven by
public relations professionals.
Public relations leads the deployment of digital
communications at 51 percent of organizations, while
marketing takes charge 40.5 percent of the time.
Specifically, public relations manages the use of
blogging, (49 percent to marketing’s 22 percent),
microblogging (52 percent to 22 percent) and social
networking (48 percent to 27 percent).
PRSA 2009 Digital Readiness Report by IPress Dr. Don Wright, PRSA Survey of PR Professionals

14. In a social media environment, effective communication is no
longer about broadcasting a tightly controlled message but
rather about initiating conversations and participating in
conversations started by customers and other stakeholders.

15. What are the
differences between
old and new
Public Relations
practices?

16. The old communication model was a monologue.
“We talk. You listen.”

17. The new communication model is a dialogue.
It should be transparent, authentic, vibrant,
and consumer-driven.

18. • Old PR focused on controlling messages.
• New PR focuses on influencing messages.
• Old PR focused on traditional media.
• New PR focuses on social media.
• Old PR was unidirectional. It sent messages
out with limited access to response.
• New PR is multidirectional and
interactive.
• Old PR focused on broader audiences.
• New PR targets specific audiences.

19. What skills do you
need to practice
Public Relations
today?

20. • Critical thinking
• Writing
• Speaking
• Video
• Audio
• Design
• Research
• Interpersonal

21. Let’s explore just three of these skills.
Critical Thinking
Writing
Video Production

22. CRITICAL THINKING
SKILLS ARE CRUCIAL!
• Visualizing
• Planning
• Researching
• Analyzing
• Assessing

23. CRITICAL THINKING DETERMINES:
• PR Strategy and Plan
• Who needs to know
• Messages and Media
• Analytics and Metrics
• How to measure success

24. WRITING SKILLS ARE
FUNDAMENTAL!
PR people do a lot of writing and usually write
well. This is why so many PR practitioners were
journalists or studied journalism.

25. THE BASICS OF GOOD WRITING
• A clear thesis statement.
• An attention getting lead.
• Unified body and paragraphs (focus on thesis)
• Easy to follow organization and argument
• Development – specific examples, details, etc.
• Clear, concise, simple sentences.
• Appropriate word choice.
• Obvious conclusion

26. THE PROCESS OF GOOD WRITING
• PREWRITE
• FIND YOUR THESIS
• ORGANIZE (outline, put like things
together, use parallel construction, find the
best pattern )
• WRITE (just get it all down)
• REWRITE
• PROOF-READ (get help)
• FORMAT and FINALIZE

27. PR PEOPLE WRITE:
• Press Releases and Media Alerts
• Emails, Text Messages and Tweets
• White Papers and PR Plans
• Newsletters & Financial Reports
• Articles, Features and Bios
• Blogs and Web Content
• Scripts and Speeches

28. WEB & SOCIAL MEDIA WRITING
• Creates content.
• Requires short, simple sentences.
• Often has character or word limitations.
• Demands focused, clear messages.
• Uses design, colors and fonts strategically.
Don’t Waste Time or Space.

29. TYPES OF SOCIAL MEDIA WRITING
• Social Media Sites (Facebook, Linkedin)
• Web content
• Q&A and Enumerations (6 Tips for . . .)
• Blogs and Tweets
• Wikis and citizen journalism
• Reviews and ebooks
• Event Announcements and Invitations

30. Social network and blogging sites are now the 4th most
popular activity online, even ahead of personal e-mail.

31. Moblogs are blogs adapted for display on
mobile devices such as phones.

32. With the addition of video, blogging becomes a true
multimedia experience that gives bloggers an easy way to
share insights and sounds with their audiences.

33. VISUAL SKILLS ARE VITAL.
• Design
• Color
• Fonts
• Structure
• Photos
• Animation
• Icons/Logos
• Videos

34. VIDEO PRODUCTION

35. A recent survey suggested that video company profiles on
YouTube have more measurable impact than company
profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other prominent sites.

36. On YouTube, the average user spends 15 minutes
a day on the site.
More video is uploaded to YouTube in 60 days
than all 3 major U.S. networks created in 60 years.

37. Types of Video Products
• Promotional Videos
• Video News Releases (VNR)
• Video Blogs
• Corporate Videos
• “How to” videos
• Music videos
• Video Serials
• Networks

38. THE BASICS OF VIDEO PRODUCTION
• Choose a camera: For Internet video, use a miniDV cam that captures 720 x 480-
pixel footage. Flash memory camcorders or digicams can transfer video to a computer more
quickly, but picture quality is variable. Phone and computer videos vary in quality too.
• Record clear audio: Often the camera microphone is too far from your talent.
Learn about the different type of external microphones. Listen to your audio before you
shoot.
• Keep it steady: Put your camera on a tripod or any flat surface. If you have to shoot
handheld, lean against a wall or tree to stabilize yourself. Too much shake will give your
audience motion sickness.
• Light your subjects: When shooting outdoors, keep the sun at your back. Check
your lighting indoors for shadows and hot spots. Play with your lighting.
• Film multiple takes: Plan your shots. Rehearse, rewrite, and redo. Shoot each
scene several times, from different angles, and for at least 10 seconds.
• Edit edit edit: Use free programs like iMovie or Windows Movie Maker to splice the
best takes into a final video. Keep your show under 10 minutes. Gen X attention spans are
unforgiving.

39. SHOOT TO EDIT
• Don’t zoom or pan for at least 10 seconds.
• Avoid zooms when the camera is rolling.
• Move the camcorder only when necessary.
• Keep your average shot length between 5 and
10 seconds.
• Keep the shot steady (no zoom or pan) for at
least 10 seconds.

40. Share It
• Shrink it down.
• Upload it to a host
• Embed it online
• Broadcast it

41. Video Optimization
• Make sure that your video clips are relevant and informative.
• Give your video a Catchy Title.
• Use Video as a Portal to other Content on Your Site.
• Optimize your video for Important Key Phrases.
• Keep Your Videos to five minutes or less.
• Tag Your Videos using key terms.
• Allow Users to Rate your Video.
• Brand your Video with your Logo.
• Syndicate Your Video - Submit your video to RSS.

42. IN CONCLUSION
You should now have a better understanding of:
• what PR is.
• how PR fits into the marketing mix.
• what PR people do.
• how to work with the press/media.
• what social media are.
• how social media have changed PR practices.
• some of the skills needed in PR today.

43. THANK YOU!