Web 2.0 Tools

The world has gone a long way from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 which revitalized the Internet as we know it today. While Web 1.0 only provided the ability to view content without being able to contribute much to what could appear on the web, the Web 2.0 completely changed this. Users can now create, share and modify content online thanks to the variety of tools now available. With the presence of such innovative tools on the Internet, there are a variety of opportunities and prospects for numerous fields such as Public Relations. The Web 2.0 platforms have changed the way people communicate and collaborate and this I believe clearly influenced the presence of Public Relations in the digital world.

Blogs

Blogs are considered as the first powerful Web 2.0 platform and this is probably because of the freedom bloggers enjoy while they generate their own content online. It is very common today to see Journalists, celebrities and even companies managing their very own blog.

Company blogs demonstrate how Public Relations can be useful for companies who wish to engage and interact with their customers on the Internet. The best example I can come up with is Starbucks and their most creative and engaging blog I’ve ever come across so far! The blog is called My Starbucks Idea and the purpose behind is to interact and engage actively with the customers who have the opportunity to send their ideas not only for new drinks and food items but also for packages and the store design. Starbucks then blogs about these ideas and the audience can brainstorm on these via comments and ratings. I find their blog most fascinating and absolutely genius! It also shows an excellent way of using Public Relations on the Internet in order to maintain a constant communication with the audience while giving customers a chance to contribute and possibly add new items to their favorite café’s menu.

You will love reading Mark Schaefer blog post on the top 10 corporate blogs in the world which includes Starbucks. Click on the link: http://www.businessesgrow.com/2011/01/05/the-10-best-corporate-blogs-in-the-world/

Social Networking

In my opinion, the relationship between social media and Public Relations is one that cannot be neglected and this in terms of engagement and interactivity with your targeted audience. Using social media enables companies to reach out their customers fast and easy and brings about a lot of benefits.

Nowadays, people simply do not leave their house without their smartphones or tablets and with the Wi-Fi being more and more available in public places, people are then always connected. This means they always stay up to date to the latest news, events and announcements via their devices and make use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter to have to access to the latest news. Companies have realized this trend and rapidly responded to this by being present on these popular platforms. This enables them to increase their online visibility as well as to build and maintain a constant relationship with their customers.

This is where I believe Public Relations is vital whereby the use of such communication skills is necessary to create a space where customers will not only have access to the latest information in relation to the company and their products. It is necessary for the creation of a space which must also provide interactivity and engagement between the company and its customers. The way you communicate on social media and the way you communicate at a press conference is of course not the same. It is important to be clear and straightforward when communicating your message online while keeping the vision and mission of the company in mind. The most important thing will be to ensure your messages across your online platforms are all coherent, especially if you manage several pages such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.

Microsoft is doing an excellent job in this matter; their pages are all coherent in their communication strategy and provide most engaging content to their customers. Have a look at their social media profiles and see for yourselves! (Click on the images and you'll be redirected to their pages)