PR Council Acknowledges Future of Social Media

The Council of PR Firms has published a white paper on social media and the industry it represents. I haven’t seen much written or discussed about it yet (dare I say the Council needs some PR representation)? All puns aside, “Relating to the Public” is one of the better white papers I’ve read about the opportunities and challenges facing the PR industry as social media continues to morph into a powerful marketing force.

The Council warns that the “public relations industry finds itself at an historic juncture … so the big question becomes: How much influence will public relations wield as other marketing disciplines rethink their own mandates and retool themselves for the new world?” I can personally attest to that. There are some agencies we work with that totally get it and are very involved in this evolution, and others who have not yet found the time to put this on their radar screen.

Some of the key findings and recommendations in the 15-page Council report include:

• social media must become part of the PR landscape or firms will become obsolete;
• fears persist about the legal and ethical implications of social media;
• clients are going to find social media experts to partner with as revenues grow, regardless of whether they are PR agencies or not; and,
• nearly 80% of companies surveyed by the Council this year expressed an interest in social media. (If you doubt this one, take a look at this job title Wells Fargo is trying to fill).

The report was based on insights from a number of PR executives from both the client and agency worlds. It’s definitely worth your time.

Mike