Social media has transformed the public relations world, demanding new skills and creating new opportunities. Social media not only provides a platform for a more personal and direct relationship between brand and audience, but also opens up the boundaries for external influence in products and services.
While it initially looks impressive for a company portfolio to sport a blog, Twitter account and Facebook page, an organisation must ensure social media is used to enhance reputation rather than undermine it.
Diving into social media without any plans or guidelines can be risky for a major corporate. Many organisations are guilty of setting up grandiose social media sites then leaving them static and ignored - allowing abuse and misuse from the active online audience. Others see no value in the influence of social media users and miss out on resolving conflict while still in its early stages. As a result, social media has become a place for consumers to express their opinions and gather wide interest and support in their endeavours – especially against large corporations.
BP learnt the power of social media during its oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this year. On Facebook alone, over 16.5 million people publicly declared that they were either angry or they were going to boycott the corporation.
So too did Nestlé. when Greenpeace UK launched a social media protest about the use of palm oil in its Kit Kat chocolate bars, leading to the brand promising to use only certified sustainable palm oil by 2015.
Both situations saw large and previously considered indestructible organisations feel major effects due to the power of people being able to gang up online.
Social media can also be effectively used to great effect to increase the reputation and popularity of an organisation.
Auckland’s Giapo is testament to the positive use of social media. Since first becoming active online in January 2009, the ice cream store has almost 13,000 friends on Facebook and 4,000 on Twitter. The store encourages its customers to become active online by incorporating public suggestions into new ice cream flavours and instantly replying when customers talk online about their experiences at the store. Giapo displays large screens broadcasting their live Facebook, Twitter and blog pages inside their store and offers customers free wireless internet so they can write and see their own comments at the store.
Social media is an effective way to establish a two-way conversation and friendship between organisation and audience. While it is frequently misused, social media can strengthen relationships and loyalties in ways that would be impossible otherwise.
Organisations that use social media must establish a regularly monitored page with a solid network of followers so in times of crisis, the organisation can speak directly with their audience and solve the issue.
So how will your company make the most of social media?
For more on the topic check out this essay from Malcolm Gladwell of The New Yorker:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/10/04/101004fa_fact_gladwell
