Social Media – Sam's Blog Spot

Utilizing Social Media within Public Relations

Posted on October 23, 2019May 5, 2020 by samasoklis

Social Media within the world of PR has changed the way in which one reaches and interacts with an audience. Using the technology given to us today, we can use numerous different tools that impact the way in which a PR professional does their job. From social media, one can obtain information based on consumer response, connection, and strategy. By using these tools one can measure and create a desired platform to reach all audience in the desired target. This allows for PR professionals to use these new tools to create the atmosphere on the media they strive to have for their company or business.

The specific use of social media to create “buzz” for ones audience allows a ton of new opportunities that the world of PR did not offer before. A Forbes council member states in an article “Social media makes it possible for the average person to create their own platform and cultivate their own audience in a way that has never been possible before” (Mekky, 2019, para. 5). The statement above shows us the power given to a PR professional to create the best platform to reach the media in the world of social media. The attraction media has today – from announcements and news cultivated by PR professionals – in ones business has created a source of reliability for consumers. When a crisis or downfall occurs in one’s business, social media has also allowed some professionals to create a bounce back or a response to help their brand.

Social Media has also allowed PR professionals to share company information quickly and effectively to an audience. Besides creating a “buzz”, this also creates a way for social sharing to transfer across all platforms for everyone to see. Whether its a press release, to a new article, information can easily be transferred from source to socure to reach all audiences. A noteworthy PR professional named Ronn Torossian stated “This ensures that when a follower reads a release online, they can easily click on a button to share it with their friends and family, and thus expand brand reach for a client” (Torossiain, 2018, para. 7). This statement speaks volumes as sharing and connecting with ones near to you happens on a daily basis! The number of times I have personally connected with my peers over new press releases is uncountable. The content that trends in media everyday are talking points that one another discuss on a daily as it plays much importance to them. Whether it’s a brand they love, or a company that took a hit, people always love to read and voice their opinion.

Interactions within your social media channel also helps to create credibility and recognition within one’s business. From replying to a customer, to direct messaging them with a problem, the more responsive a company is to these interactions, the more respect a consumer will have for them. In a journal by two university professors, they explain “Organizations can also harness the potential of social media to engage in social conversations” (Tam & Kim, 2019, p. 31). This potential is created through connecting and interacting with your consumers on social media. This allows for deep trust and consideration when one is dealing with a company over social media.

When looking back on the points discussed, many can conclude that the use of social media within the PR industry has changed the way in which one does their job. Incorporating social media and creating the hype, branching out news on multiple platforms, and creating strong interactions with consumers helps to build a brand’s reputation. Using these tools will help one to be as successful as possible when incorporating the new ways in which the industry works. Social media will only continue to grow as technology advances, so it is up to us to continue to adapt with social media and what it offers us.

Tam, Lisa & Kim, Jeong-Nam. (2019). Using social media analytics in public relations: How they support company public relations. Journal of Business Strategy. 40. 28-34. 10.1108/JBS-06-2017-0078.

Ad & PR

“Social Media”: Podcast by Sarah, The Functional Minimalist

Posted on February 18, 2019May 5, 2020 by samasoklis

Ever since I was younger, I have had this application called “Podcasts” pre-installed on my iPhone. Not paying much attention to this application previously, I would make sure that it was placed in a folder in the back of my phone where it wouldn’t be in my way. I never paid attention to what this actually entailed, knowing that it was just a speaker recording themselves on different issues or topics that they chose to talk about. Since the last year or so, I had the opportunity to dive into this application and listen to what some speakers had to say. Just recently, I was able to tune into a podcast by the speaker, Sarah who really opened my mind up to they way in which social media can be positive and effective in such a negative world.

In this podcast, she touches on many subjects that help us enlighten the sometimes “dark” and negative ways in which social media effects us individually. I thought that she did a very good job in the way that she demonstrated each of her main points in this podcast. She was able to take the aspects in which sometimes tear people away from social media, and look at the positives and how we can adjust.

One main point of Sarah’s podcast that stood out to me is the feeling of dissatisfaction that some get from social media. Many people in todays society feel as if they always have to be involved with media 24/7, creating a fear in ones mind of not being “in” with what’s trending today. I find this very important as those tend to focus on that aspect, rather than looking at the positives that social media truly brings. There is a way to be involved and use media to its advantage as we all know, for it has changed the way in which we function from day to day.

In the Ad & P.R. world, some of the main tips that Sarah shared can relate to the way in which big businesses display themselves on social media as well. She talked about the presence that we as people have on social media and how to control it without being overwhelmed or feeling left out. Businesses in todays society want to make sure that their product is being displayed efficiently and that they are still maintaining this presence. Without a doubt, I have seen many media sites that display or brand themselves with much effort trying to get across to their viewers. Although this is a positive aspect to help a create and promote themselves, it tends to be quite overwhelming to some viewers who don’t care to see as much as they do from a companies social media account.

Sarah discusses the way in which as individuals can cleanse themselves by getting rid of some of this in ones life. Although the Ad & P.R. world relies on those who browse social media and catch the viewers attention, it is up to you as viewer to decide what you want to see in your media feed. You are in control of what you see on a day to day basis, and this is powerful because if you find something that is not in YOUR interest, then why even have it? I personally find it super important to manage what you do and do not want displayed to you, as sometimes this can affect the way in which you feel personally.

Although social media in todays society has been a major advancement for us as humans in the 21st century, it is up to you how you want to use it. I thought Sarah’s podcast was very interesting and definitely will use some of her tips in my future endeavors throughout the social media world. I would find it quite interesting to listen to another podcast by her that dives even deeper into social media’s impact and how accounts influence or sway our thoughts as viewers.

Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/social-media/id1118822483?i=1000377909649&mt=2

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/apple-podcasts/id525463029

Ad & PR

Social Media’s Impact on YOU and Society

Posted on February 4, 2019May 5, 2020 by samasoklis

When you think of what social media is, many people come to think of Snapchat, Facebook, and all the other platforms that we interact with on a day to day basis. This access to easy communication has allowed for many individuals to build themselves and their business on different platforms. Many of us have came accustomed to the everyday usage of these social media sites allowing us to find out new information, post our feelings, and hear about others. With all of this on the rise, it has became a vital part to todays society and how it is used to benefit us as a community.

When using social media personally, I know that I tend to indulge more than I should. It has became such a regular part of my daily routine allowing for easy access to almost anything that I am interested in seeing, This has made a major impact on how I communicate in person versus through a platform of social media that we have. Social media in many peoples lives have created a channel in which allows communication that is nonverbal. This nonverbal communication is very beneficial, but sometimes not in the best interest of all. The verbal communication that is lacking has became less and less through advancements with social media.

Within large businesses and corporations, social media has became a necessity in today society. This has allowed for companies to reach out to consumers and make them feel as if they are connecting to them. This personal connection that is made with pages like these increases the social media presence and how popular they become. When a business has an upbeat and engaging profile, it typically allows for communication within the business to be much more enjoyable as they have a strong media presence. Personally, I have had a company reply to me about a tweet that I was posted on disappointment in their company. Immediately after that, I felt satisfied with company as they made an effort to reach out and make things better. This kind of presence allows for consumer reliability to a company and its product.

Over the years, the platforms that are considered to be social media have made major rise and falls in the industry. At one point in time, the most prominent application was MySpace in which many of todays society don’t even know about. Many of these phases have allowed platforms to have their fame. The struggle of this is trying to keep their users happy and entertained with what they’re using. In the past few years, it has became a competition to many sites that have been on the rise. With todays media, competitors like Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram have been pushing to make their company the “best”. With these companies pushing to make the top, Snapchat has made significant gain in todays society. Having a profile and showing others what you are up to has been very prominent in recent times. Over the next few years, it will be hard to determine which platforms will stay in the game and which won’t. But overall, there will always be new companies that are trying to make their way in the industry.

Social Media has shaped the way in which we live our lives and in future, it will only continue to grow. As it progresses, it is up to us a society to use it to the best of its ability to help us advance as humans. Using these platforms to grow as an individual and as a company, will help to shape the way in which our society grows for the future. Despite the struggles we may experience as we adapt to these changes, it is crucial to make them the best they can be!