 |
"The
problem with communication is the illusion that it has occurred"
George Bernard Shaw |
PR
professionals work in a very dynamic environment. People oriented, the network
they maintain is meant to provide them traction, resonance and ultimately
provide business support for their clients (or brands, personalities etc.). The
finest kind of PR is done with medium and message in mind. Illusions of
communication, therefore, need to be minimized. This fact has perhaps created
reluctant adventurism into the world of social media PR in Pakistan.
It is
universally understood by PR professionals that their networks work on a person
to person basis. It is, plainly and without question, a pure people’s business.
An inherent ability to connect, interact and create value for your network is
part and parcel of the profile.
These
networks, however, need not always be physically bounded. Social media, as it
stands today, has already proven a potent platform for generating PR traction.
Moreover, there are valued networks which exist predominantly (sometimes
entirely) within the sphere of social media.
The theory
of neural networks, the parallel science of the ‘synapse’ of the information
age (the digital variants of our social existence) needs to be recognized as
fundamental to the future of PR and marketing. In order to make and prepare for
the future of an effective PR strategy, there will need to be some deployment
within a social media paradigm. It will mirror, supplement or replace
traditional networks for professionals in the years to come.
While most
of your network has a presence on the social media, the evolution into neural
(synaptic) networks will mean PR individuals need to be prepared for increased
interaction at a digital level; there are 3 main reasons for this:
1st:
Humans, when using social media, are in effect mapping their identities online
2nd:
There will be neural networks within the social network; they will work and
deliver differently from ‘face to face’ networks
3rd:
This advantage will be vital for PR professionals using social media as an end,
and not the means itself
If PR is to
grow, it will need to start looking into creating value for their clients from
within a new, vibrant community, one which may not naturally transform itself
into a physical, contact based one.
This will be
the neural network created by social networking. In many ways, it will be
business partnerships for tomorrow, delivered today.
Shahbaz
Ali-Khan
April 10th, 2012
2 comments:
Interesting perspective. I wrote somethi.g similar about leaving a permanent personal timeline and stamp using social media.
Great read.
Thanks. This permanence is exactly why 'old school' PR needs to move its skills onto the 'new' platform.
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