PR in a Web 2.0 World

Pick up any PR or marketing publication and you will probably find discussion of Web 2.0. People discussing what’s changed. What hasn’t. And what PR people should do about it.

I recently spoke with Sam Whitmore, a technology media veteran, about that very topic. Sam is the founder and editor of Sam Whitmore’s Media Survey, which provides tech media analysis and consulting to PR pros and media buyers (www.mediasurvey.com). He also hosts a weekly teleconference series featuring prominent tech editors.

A former media columnist for Forbes.com, Sam spent 14 years at Ziff-Davis Publishing, 12 of them at “PC Week” as a reporter, editor, columnist and editor in chief. He later served as a company vice president in business development and as a reporter for Ziff-Davis Television (ZDTV).

Here are his insights about what has changed, what hasn’t, and how PR people can cope.

Some things will probably never change. Insincere communication is not effective. Relationships are still the coin of the realm. With the rise of social networks, relationships are even more important than before.

Also it’s important to manage a client’s expectations. Many companies are still unrealistic. PR people will continue to struggle with the issues of measurement and value.

The sanctity of traditional journalism is being outflanked by the “people formerly known as the audience,” a term coined by Doc Searls, a blogger. We’re seeing that regular people often know as much or more than an individual journalist, especially if you aggregate this wisdom. A group is almost always smarter than any one person.

Journalists can use this to their advantage by polling groups, taking part in social networks, and the like. Or they can avoid it and risk looking incomplete, biased or unprofessional. I believe a schism is developing in the media. Some leverage the wisdom of the crowd; others don’t.

Several things.

PR people should take part in this new environment. They should blog themselves and comment on other people’s blogs. I believe PR pros should strike a 50/50 balance between consuming and producing information. That will empower them to be balanced media professionals who can provide much better counsel for their clients and companies. Today probably only about 5 percent of the PR community blogs. It should be 50 percent.

Second, I think PR people need to look at communities as influencers. Social network like MySpace are important. Many publishers like IDG and Ziff Davis are developing their own networks.

I’m amazed how comfortable many people are with sharing their lives online. You can get a lot of information through their postings. This real-time background can help you build those relationships that are so important.

Of course, some voices are more credible than others. PR people need to develop a reputation management system for the online world just as they have done for traditional media. They need to identify the top 10 percent of the online influencers and court them.

Certainly there is some danger in the new environment, but some techniques do work. Many companies adopt a dual approach, where they publicly comment on the posting in a confident way and privately dialogue with the blogger.

If that doesn’t work and the company is abjectly wronged, they can contact other bloggers in that “space.” Bloggers don’t want their credibility threatened. They tend to gang up on the “virus.” There was the case of the blogger who said Microsoft’s Vista would be late by four months. He was pilloried and his credibility reduced because he hadn’t done his homework.

Obviously, this approach only works if the company has developed relationships with the bloggers. If you haven’t cultivated equity earlier, you won’t have it to spend in a crisis. That hasn’t changed.

This does take a commitment. Professional development is key. People need new tools and need to keep their skills up-to-date.

But I think you should enjoy it. There’s nothing to fear. It can be invigorating. You can mix your personal and professional lives in a safe way.

This is the outset of a new era. The people who used to be the audience, the aggregated little people, are finding their voice. It’s exciting. Enjoy.

©2007, Communications Plus