Running head: THE CHANGED MEDIA BANDWAGON: 1

A MUTUAL CONVERSATION

The Changed Media Bandwagon: A Mutual Conversation

Whitney Haddard

Rider University
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The popularity of social media is not new; everyone knows that people use it

to connect with people across the globe. But businesses are starting to realize that

they may be able to connect with customers, clients, potential customers, potential

clients, competitors, related businesses, etc., across the globe as well…via these

social mediums. Not only are they starting to realize this, they are being told from all

directions that they need to jump on the bandwagon. Professionals and analysts

everywhere are denouncing those who consider it a fad on the premises of proof

that shows it has really worked. Social media is the future backbone of public

relations. This is because media isn’t one-sided any longer: it’s a mutual

conversation.

There is an obvious reason for public relations professionals’ interest in the

social net: popularity. “The number of users on three of the most popular platforms

indicates why businesses show interest in online social worlds – 400 million global

Facebook users; 100 million registered on Twitter; and 60 million on LinkedIn”

(Madler, 2010). These numbers are growing every week. Facebook surpassed

Google as the most visited site on the web in mid-March according to “Hitwise”

(Lawrence, 2010). It’s a PR-person’s job to know these statistics about the latest hot

topics and trends. Strategies began to develop to involve companies in this next, big

thing.

Facebook was originally set-up for college students, but too many still

consider this it’s only purpose. “Corporate reputation management, crisis response,

and brand bulletproofing” can all be accomplished on this popular site (Lawrence,
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2010). Besides the fact that demographics of age are all over the charts, and that

college students are no longer the majority, users are sharing their views and

opinions about “every bit of marketing data a 21st century company covets”

(Lawrence, 2010). Public relations professionals have come to realize this and have

begun to think-up ways to take advantage.

Social networking sites are changing the way people receive news, or even

media in general. A couple “high-profile example[s]” include the death of Michael

Jackson and the landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River (Blake,

2009). Long before the world’s media outlets had reported on these happenings,

Twitter was blowing up with reactions and updates about them for the world to

consume. The distribution of news is practically uncontrollable, and the way in

which we communicate has been shifted due to the social net. With this shift stirring

things up, a change for public relations is at its heels.

Because of the decline in newspapers, commercial television and radio,

public relations professionals say that utilizing social networking is a way to fill the

hole the older media-outlets leave behind (Farrish, 2009). Because the audiences of

these older mediums have broken down and dispersed, social media is a way to talk

to a large group again. Kathy Frega, director of communications for the Connecticut

Education Association, states, “you have to communicate with people on multiple

fronts…you have to reach people on their own digital turf” (Farrish, 2009). That is

exactly what companies are doing; they are using social media outlets as yet another

way to reach the masses.

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So some news organizations have caught on; it’s another way to reach the

people. But some are skeptical that the transfer to public relations for businesses

just won’t work. Ira Yellen, president and CEO of First Experience Communications,

stated, “they [Facebook and Twitter] seem to be for people with too much time on

their hands. There’s more talking and not a lot of listening” (Farrish, 2009). He must

be taking examples from companies using social media wrongly then. The key to

cites like Facebook and Twitter is that they are social, and socializing involves

conversation. If a business or a company uses it like a billboard, not many are going

to listen. The company needs to listen and respond to the people. It’s mutual.

“A dialogue between the brand and the customer has benefits. For the brand,

it is an effective way to improve, based on real opinions. It is also a cost effective tool

for customer service. For the user, it is an open communication line between him

and the concerned brand” (Lim, 2010). It really is an extension of talking to

customers/clients on the phone or face-to-face. But instead of individually (which

can also be achieved) talking to the whole at once with important information is

essential! ESPN’s vice president of communications, Mike Soltys, states, “The social

media give you the opportunity to go directly to people. In the public relations

business, it’s an important thing to play with” (Farrish, 2009). “Engagement” is no

longer a word that means a future marriage; it is often used in conjunction with

“fan” or “follower” nowadays. “This is a generation of brand engagement with digital

as the most powerful medium, and not jumping into the bandwagon will leave the

brand swimming in a little pond that will eventually lose its voice in the sea of

prosumer interactions” (Lim, 2010).

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There is proof that social media marketing and public relations has worked.

A “study by Chadwick Martin Bailey and iModerate Research Technologies found

that consumers are 67% more likely to buy from the brands they follow on Twitter,

and 51% more likely to buy from a brand they follow on Facebook. Moreover,

they’re 79% more likely to recommend their Twitter follows to a friend, and 60%

more likely to do the same on Facebook” (Ostrow, 2010). Also, “many consumers

across a wide variety of demographics have negative perceptions of brands that

aren’t using social media” (Ostrow, 2010). This shall be a sign to all companies

urging them to jump on the bandwagon before they are left behind. A specific

example of a company’s success because of the use of social media is that of Dell.

Dell alerted it’s Twitter followers to sale items and made $1 million (Blake, 2009).

The proof is in the pudding.

Mentioned before, it’s a conversation…not a billboard. But many stress the

need for a strategy before beginning a quest through social media worlds. As many

fans/followers as possible might not be the way to go, either. “Reaching the most

users isn’t as good as reaching the right users. That is why marketing professionals

strongly encourage their clients to have a clear strategy and objectives in mind

before diving into social media” (Madler, 2010). Involvement as a brand, business or

company in the social media world isn’t easy and can be done wrong (and has been

countless times.) “Social media, unlike other media, require 24/7 management and

monitoring, and engenders a highly intense level of engagement between brand and

media user” (Lim, 2010).

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An overwhelming portion of those commenting on this subject supports its

use for public relations purposes. Many consider it more to be customer relations, a

branch of public relations that focuses on the customer individually instead of

achieved and potential customers at the same time. Those who criticize it and share

the view that Facebook and Twitter are just fads truly don’t know enough about

them and how they can be used effectively when done right. The key to using social

media for companies is to remember that it’s dubbed “social” for a reason: it’s for

socializing. Humanizing a brand can be achieved because conversation can (and

should) take place. Media is shared (or mutual) today. Everyone needs to jump on

the bandwagon if they’re going to keep up.

References
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Blake, A. (2009, July 8). Learn About the Changing Face of Selling Online; Social Sites

Could be the Answer. The Western Mail, p. 13. Retrieved from

http://www.lexisnexis.com/‌us/‌lnacademic/‌results/‌docview/‌docview.do?

docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T9204898355&format=GNBFI&sort=RELEVANCE

&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T9204898359&cisb=22_T9204898358&t

reeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=244366&docNo=17

Farrish, K. (2009, September 13). Public Relations Pros Using Social Media To

Spread Message. Hartford Business Journal Online. Retrieved from

http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/‌news9502.html

Lawrence, D. (n.d.). Why Your Brand Needs to Be on Facebook Now. In Mashable

[Article]. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/‌2010/‌03/‌24/‌brand-

facebook-now/

Lim, D. (2010, March 1). Are Social Sites Effective Vehicles for Marketing?

BusinessWorld, p. S3/‌3. Retrieved from

http://www.lexisnexis.com/‌us/‌lnacademic/‌results/‌docview/‌docview.do?

docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T9204757855&format=GNBFI&sort=RELEVANCE

&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T9204757861&cisb=22_T9204757860&t

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Madler, M. (2010, April 26). Using Social Media is More Than Just Friends and

Tweets. San Fernando Valley Business Journal. Retrieved from

http://www.sfvbj.com/‌news/‌2010/‌apr/‌26/‌using-social-media-more-just-

friends-and-tweets/
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Ostrow, A. (n.d.). Facebook and Twitter Making a Major Impact on Purchase

Decisions. In Mashable [Article]. Retrieved from

http://mashable.com/‌2010/‌03/‌16/‌facebook-twitter-purchase-decisions/