Public Relations Degree Programs: The Importance of Being Social-Media-Ready
Posted By admin on March 23, 2012
Learn about the role of social media in today’s PR industry and the importance of integrating this subject in the present public relations degree online programs for the new PR pros.
Public relations, as a department and discipline, must acknowledge the importance of social media within the scope of enterprise and corporations. Public relations are quickly changing, with tried-and-true PR strategies that we rely on becoming ineffective and irrelevant. Unfortunately, despite the changing PR roles, a number of public relations degree programs cover media classes with no regard for the new media or even the Internet.
According to the study report entitled ‘2009 Digital Readiness Report: Essential Online Public Relations and Marketing Skills’, public relations covers the responsibility for coming up with an online strategy. This is in relation to podcasting or RSS, blogging, social networking, social search, microblogging and even web content management, although to a lesser extent. Public relations prevails compared to IT, HR, marketing and executive management.
Search engine optimization (SEO) and email marketing are covered by marketing but only SEO to some extent. The institutions and groups involved in the study include PR/marketing agencies, corporations, non-profit organizations and associations, academic institutions and government agencies. The respondents comprise 278 marketing, human resource and public relations professionals selected to identify current trends about their approach to social media.
Overall, the conclusion was that marketing and public relations degree graduates had to be prepared in handling social media if they want to land a better position in the industry. The report includes some notable insights and is perhaps the first comprehensive look on new media and social media marketing needs in the PR industry. Public relations has taken a completely new role over the last decade.
It has been perhaps the most dramatic transition of the PR industry since the inception of email and is progressing even faster and more dramatically. However, one can’t deny the fact that a lot of PR professionals are still ill-prepared to do these tasks. Nowadays, a number of public relations degree programs are still teaching PR classes yet disregarding social media or the Internet.
Press releases, although still a required skill-set, are being deemed the standard fare of the industry of daily productivity.
Currently, many PR professionals are being placed in charge of social networking, website content, logging/podcasting/RSS and even for SEO. Due to this changing face of PR industry, public relations professionals, more specifically public relations educators, should recognize these technologies and try to incorporate it in the course for younger PR folk.
The industry has dramatically changed. Now more than ever, it is necessary to realize we are digital. Everyone is connected and charged with managing inter-connectivity among individuals and organizations.
Sure, a degrees in public relations covers crisis communications, media relations, event management and other topics in PR. However, all of these areas have changed in today’s world. Public relations pros should ensure that the teachings comprise what is necessary to succeed in the current professional landscape.
Public relations degree holders are now using social media in many ways to either add on or supplement existing PR strategies. The most successful PR pros concentrate on making active relationships and engaging with their constituents and customers to have a real conversation. In general, this is not about placing a PR pitch on Facebook or Twitter, but it is about using such platforms that will greatly help clients to connect.