Читать книгу 21st Century Secrets to Effective PR - Linda Pophal - Страница 3

There’s a lot of buzz these days about “fake news” and the diminishing value of the traditional news media. And, as President Trump and others have so clearly demonstrated, we all have the potential now to be our own newsmakers — we can reach audiences directly through social media and other online channels. Gatekeepers who buy ink by the barrel and control the airwaves no longer hamper our ability to get our messages out to the masses.

Or do they?

I think the biggest myth about public relations (PR) that I continue to hear is that it is becoming less valuable, or valued, in this social media era, and that social media will eventually take the place of PR. That sentiment, I believe, is patently untrue. In fact, I think the situation is exactly the opposite. Why? Because there will always be a demand (and a need) for content curators — gatekeepers who determine what is valuable to a particular audience. In fact, as both concerns about fake news and the use of online channels for communication become more prevalent, I believe the demand for these gatekeepers — and the need for more traditional PR activities among those looking to build credibility and thought leadership — will continue to grow.

In my opinion, PR is more relevant today than ever and is rapidly supplanting the value of advertising. I make the following distinction between the two:

•Public relations is unpaid exposure — you benefit by third-party coverage or commentary about your products or services; it’s other people talking about you.

•Advertising is paid exposure — you are paying to place your messages and, by definition, talking about yourself.

The internet has made the possibility of sharing information about others and their products and services more readily available at significantly less cost than any other form of media exposure. Does PR matter? I’d turn that question around to ask: Does anything other than PR matter?

Today’s PR, though, is different from the PR of years gone by. Today, it’s not only about getting reporters, and other gatekeepers, to cover your story. Today, there are new channels for gaining public exposure — through social media, through blogging, through content creation and curation — all of which serves to boost thought leadership status for yourself or your organization.