Public Relations Strategists Key To Social Media

Public Relations is often described as the practice of building beneficial relationships. 

Obviously, much goes into the development and execution of a good PR plan to build relationships that reward your company or client.  The results of experience, expertise and more can be huge.

Look at "Scandal" - the "must-tweet" television series. 

The Los Angeles Times writes about how Twitter plays an integral part in the success of a show that opened to a modest reception.

The show's producer and its cast have realized the benefits of using this powerful PR tool - in the right way.

There are many unsuccessful Twitter campaigns.  Why?

• Lack of a sound strategy
• No clear understanding of your audience
• Unable to be authentic

These are all basic principles of building positive relationships - developed and implemented through experienced public relations professionals.  

Even if a PR pro did not have his or her hands on the wheel on this one, we're willing to accept the thanks for building the foundation.

No one reads a release?

Today's "At Breakfast With" series (one of the more successful programs from the PRSA-Los Angeles Chapter), had some startling (?) news from reporters and editors from national news organizations:

• Don't pitch a story idea to a reporter's Twitter account.  (Twitter remains sacred ground. It's more personal there than, say, LinkedIn, which is perfectly OK to us to reach a reporter).  They hate a DM pitch.

• If you are not representing a publicly traded company, why publish a news release?  Seems like many reporters are simply not reading them anymore.  

 And then there were things we already know, but need reminding now and then.

• Study the reporter before pitching them. Common theme at these media breakfasts. It seems we PR folks are not understanding this and most reporters complain about getting a pitch that doesn't fall into their type of coverage.  It's so easy to Google a reporter and find what they are writing/broadcasting.  The Forbes reporter who covers entertainment doesn't want to know about the latest face cream breakthrough (unless, of course, the celebrity is about to buy that face cream company).  Bloomberg usually doesn't cover company news if they are not a publicly traded company. 

• Don't call on deadline.

• Building relationships are key.  Take a reporter out for coffee, breakfast, lunch or have a non-deadline casual conversation that doesn't involve a current pitch.

• Reporters get hundreds, thousands of emails.  So, make it personal in the subject line to catch their attention.  

• Phone follow only if necessary.  If you truly think it's a story for them and they probably overlooked it, then call.  Not with "did you get my release," but "It's a story I believe is ripe for you and here's why"

• Pretend you are a TV reporter trying to "sell" a story to the editor.  That's how the reporter you are pitching wants to hear it from you.  (I.e. "What you think you know about XX is now completely different")

• Information and statistics are great, but stories are best with "characters" (i.e. interesting people)..and they need to be media trained for TV.  

And there were a TON of other useful tips from today's program.  If you want to link which reporter or editor to the statements above... well, you need to show up.  If you want this level of intelligence  to enhance your career - then you need to attend more PRSA/LA events and become a member.  Membership is cheap and has huge ROI to your career.

Dorner: A new chapter on credibility and social media

The week-long saga that gripped Southern California and perhaps the nation - the hunt for an ex-cop who issued a manifesto and apparently went on a killing spree - is one to study.

Law enforcement, which always seems to have a credibility cloud over it, was facing even more scrutiny in large part from a small, but loud and adept audience raising questions.  Social media channels have enabled voices and opinions to not only be heard, but create noticeable change in discourse. 


If you monitored #dorner tweets, you would see a ride range of comments, accusations, sarcasm, humor and other statements.  The question for public relations professionals is how to gauge these in developing communications strategies.

Do you ignore the "crazies"?

Before social media, opposing views were shared in smaller groups. Only rational-thinking, credentialed authors made it to the op-ed pages.  Obviously, today is much different and a few tweets can lead to a groundswell. 

For law enforcement, they are now dealing with greater demands to be transparent.  In the ex-cop rampage, the LA police chief agreed to re-open the ex-cop's case. An unprecedented move.  But to many, this was not good enough.  There were calls for independent groups or individuals to be part of the review. 

Even as this case now appears over, there are hardened skeptics who cast about on social media channels a range of theories that in earlier days would have been cast aside or never heard.


What do PR professionals glean from this?

It's not that easy to ignore the radical voice. But, it's also a balancing act.  If you exercise considerable attention to answer all charges, allegations and theories, you have given up the ability to direct the conversation back to the center. How often will you tell your client to get a backbone and not crumble in the face of a loud, but actually small, group that is using social media to its advantage?

Timing.  PR is usually the "long game." We often win the long game by waiting it out, implement new policies that address problems, etc.  Yet, serious examination now must be given to "letting the dust settle" versus determining if the heated rhetoric will have lasting impacts to reputation and credibility. 

That's not PR

The legitimate, ethical profession of public relations continues to be under attack. 

And PR pros are to blame.

We don't do a good enough job of describing what "good" PR is. We don't insist on the proper definition of public relations.  We don't give names to things other than legitimate PR.

Take, for example, a column by one of my favorites - Steve Lopez.  In the latest sad chapter of a few bad priests molesting boys and the Cardinal who should have done more to protect the boys, Lopez writes that the Cardinal went into "full PR mode" to "spin" his side of the story.

I get that reporters and columnists sometimes "feel" like they are being "spun" by sources. But what the Cardinal was doing was not "PR" but laying out a defense, more like an attorney would on behalf of a client.

Time and time again, public relations professionals insist that when we offer "the other side" of the story - with facts - we are not attempting to "spin" someone but merely provide reporters with additional detail and another view of the story.  Too often, reporters call a few minutes before deadline wanting a response to a serious allegation or charge or incident.  The story, by then, is essentially written and we're left with no chance to change the direction of the piece through thoughtful dialogue with a reporter. 


It's easy - dare I say, lazy journalism - to infuse a story with "action" words like "PR" and "spin" because by now everyone seems to believe the first is a terrible thing and the second is always associated with the first.

I'm too much of a realist to know that we won't change this over night.  (We'll get accused of trying to spin a reporter with PR just trying to bring this up!)

Yet, we must do more to define the "good" and legitimate PR that goes on everyday and is routinely enjoyed and accepted by the news media from the "other" stuff that may resemble PR, but need a different definition.

It's about separation.

This is an ongoing dilemma - as I recall several blogs (one of my favorites was when the SpinSucks blog began) that have dealt with this topic for years.

However, we PR pros must do a better job of defining what PR really is and give reporters and columnists better, alternative inflammatory language to describe stuff that may sound like PR but is something else.   The vacuum we leave behind for journalists - by not offering alternative descriptions to actions that are not ethical or credible - perpetuates the problem.

In the case of the Cardinal, it may be better to describe "his attempts to defend his reputation." He went into "defense" mode or tried to "engineer" a better image for himself.  I would (maybe I will) offer the columnist a clear understanding that public relations - by its very definition and meaning to companies, associations and individuals - can only survive if its credible and ethical.


It also comes down to how we treat reporters and other journalists.  I can't tell you how many times I have run into a journalist who felt "burned" or "spun" by a public relations person or publicist. As a former journalist, I usually can provide some credibility and trust.  ("Look, I was a journalist not too long ago, so I promise I won't spin you.")  Once you get reporters to realize you are more of an asset to them and that you are not going to "spin" them but provide reports, facts, access, details and other considerations that may be fruitful to their story, you are halfway there.

As professional, ethical PR professionals, we certainly must represent our clients and companies.

We also must defend our profession.

So, when a column incorrectly says that someone is going into "PR mode" to try to deflect criticism or otherwise paint an inaccurate picture of themselves or their organization - tell the reporter THAT is not PR because it's not credible or ethical. Tell them that "PR" does not equate deceit or misdirection.  Tell them to use better language to describe actions that have no resemblance to ethical, credible communications.

Yeah, even when a priest is involved.


NEXT: When someone has "PR problem on their hands."