PR Here To Stay In 2011

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Created on Thursday, 23 December 2010 17:19

Last Updated on Thursday, 01 September 2011 13:25

Written by Melanie Wilt

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At the end of every year, everyone likes to make predictions for the coming year; weather patterns, sports champions, and this past year even public relations. Google “PR trends in 2010” and the majority of the sites will boast the fact that PR is a dying industry. Most people have operated on the notion that with the rise of social media will come the fall of PR. The popularity of social media has created a window for the average person to be their own publicist or publisher, so why would anyone need a hired professional? If the growth that the entire industry, including Wilt PR, has experienced in 2010 is any indication, then the projected “trend” could not be more incorrect.

Every year, more and more students are entering public relations classrooms with the outlook of jobs post-graduation increasing heavily. Colleges are beginning to entertain the idea of offering social media specific classes to help new PR professionals adapt to the changing market. PR firms have begun hiring employees to strictly take care of the social media aspect of the company.  

In the Wilt PR office, we manage our client’s daily tweets and Facebook posts to reflect their promotional focus along with community ties. More importantly, we have recognized the necessity of simultaneously teaching our clients how to use their respective social media tools. Many firms are starting to operate on the same idea, to become a teacher rather than just a leader.

Some say it has been the year of Twitter but what that really meant is it was a year of learning for the PR industry. Learning to find their niche within social media and begin to separate the professional way from the “social” side. It has been about learning how to get the older clients to jump on the bandwagon. There is quite a bit of room to grow in the PR-social media relationship, but growth is the only choice of direction.

Ultimately, social media is about networking—building relationships on an online platform. The principles of PR remain true online or in person, and the knowledge of those principles can make or break the success of social media.

Despite what the predications say, I’ll put my money on social media’s permanence as a communication tool—just not as the only one.

Article by Melanie Wilt, with assistance by Cleo Stoll