INTEGRATING SOCIAL MEDIA INTO PUBLIC RELATIONS

USING SM TO HELP BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

By Dr. Mike Posey, Ph.D.@drmikeposey

LIFE IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS!

PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS. . .

•communicated with other people•gotten together in groups•formed communities •developed relationships with like-minded folk•shared their passions

PUBLIC RELATIONS IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE!

It’s in our name!It’s who we are!It’s what we do!

SOCIAL MEDIA IS AN AVENUE FOR RELATIONSHIP BUILDING!

It is a relationship builder on steroids!

- Individuals & The Masses- Scalable to any size

DO YOU WANT A ONE-SIDED RELATIONSHIP?

PARTICIPATION IN SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT JUST ABOUT “BEING OUT THERE”

It’s about engagementIt’s about being uniqueIt’s about adding valueIt’s about contributingIt’s about communicatingIt’s about connectingIt’s about listening

IT’S ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS!

RELATIONSHIPS

Everything we do stems from a relationship with someone or some thing!

RELATIONSHIPS

Knowing ourselves… helps us to know our message… which helps us to know our publics… which helps us to develop relationships.

RELATIONSHIPS

The key to a good relationship is knowing what makes a person tick!

- Who are they?

- What gets their juices flowing?

- Why they do what they do?

- Why they don’t do what they don’t do?

OBVIOUSLY RELATIONSHIPS ARE IMPORTANT.

USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

SCOPE IT OUT . . .

•Spend time finding out what exists •Discover possible connections•Learn the space•Find people streams•Determine what people are using SM for•Listen, Listen, Listen

USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

BE STRATEGIC YET FLEXIBLE. . .

•Know who you are•Know who the influencers & thought leaders are •Choose wisely•Take some chances•Look long-term•Dedicate resources

USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

TAKE THE PLUNGE. . .

•Don’t be a crazy, unorganized joiner•Don’t be a closed-minded joiner either•Make it manageable

USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

DO IT. . .

•Engage people & communities•Participate in discussions•Add value/content to communities & discussions•Be an influencer and thought leader•Know when NOT to be a thought leader•Use same voice

USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

BE EQUALLY HUMAN. . .

•Remember you are human and “they” are human•Be passionate•Be willing to say “thank you” “I’m sorry” and “How can I help you?”•Be creative•Be yourself •Find your voice•Give what you would like to get

USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE CROSSING. . .

•Develop vertical relationships•Talk with your customers•Develop horizontal relationships •Get your customers talking to other customers

USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

EVALUATE. . .

•Re-evaluate regularly•Re-Think your connections regularly•Examine the impact on a the bottom line•Balance quantitative with qualitative

DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA WILL HELP FOSTER GOODWILL OVER THE LONG TERM.

R.O.G.R.O.G.Return on Return on GoodwillGoodwill

THE HARD STUFF IS EASY. THE SOFT STUFF IS HARD. IT’S THE SOFT STUFF THAT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE.

The soft stuff results in. . .

-customer loyalty-increased interaction-deeper relationship with brand-better interactions with publics

USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO HELP BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

You have three choices . . .

You can VegatateYou can Imitate

You can Innovate

It’s up to you!

DR. MIKE POSEY, PH.D.

poseym@franklin.edutwitter: @drmikeposey

www.mikeposey.com

Michael W. PoseyCopyright 2009 – All Rights Reserved