As the Public Relations Society of America notes: “Public relations is about influencing, engaging, and building a relationship with stakeholders across various platforms. The goal, to shape and frame the public perception of an organization.” In this post, we examine social media transforming PR.
First, take a look at these prior posts:
- Build a Social Media Checklist
- Social Media Future of Customer Care
- Hottest Social Media Marketing Tools
- Following Proper Social Media Etiquette
- Another United PR Disaster: You Can’t Make This Up!
Insights on Social Media Transforming PR
According to Clutch, a B2B research firm:
“Consumers want to be heard and expect businesses to acknowledge comments on social media, according to a survey of 532 U.S. social media users. Businesses take advantage of the open communication social media offers by engaging with customers.”
“Most People Expect Businesses to Respond to Comments on Social Media Within a Day. Indeed, 83% of people expect firms to respond within a day or less. And 38% expect firms to respond in an hour or less.”
“Younger Generations Expect More From Companies on Social Media. The younger generations sleep, eat, and breathe social media. Overall, 88% of people ages 18-29 use social media. These habits impact the consumer-company dynamic online and offline. In fact, 80% of millennials 18-34 expect brands to respond to comments on social media.”
Interestingly, “Men Are More Likely to Expect Companies to Respond on Social Media. More men (82%) than women (72%) expect brands to respond to comments on social media.”
“People Notice How Brands Respond to Criticism. People often only show the best aspects of their lives on social media. Although this may be OK for individuals, it’s important for firms engage with criticism online. Nearly half of people (45%) say they would view a brand more positively if it responded to negative comments on social media.”
“Social Media Equal the New ‘Word-of-Mouth’. Social media make it easy for consumers to voice complaints. And to offer praise. 72% of people may recommend a firm to others if they have a positive social media experience.”
“Social Media Are an Avenue for Customer Service. Most people (58%) agree they make customer service easier for consumers.”