Is Twitter killing off the PR consultant?

Somebody got shot recently. The news spread online before it was announced by major networks. Twitter apparently experienced a high of 3,440 tweets per second as the news spread. A premiership footballer had an extramarital affair with some woman off Big Brother, according to Twitter he’s Welsh and apparently quite good (at football). A bloke who talks about cars quite a lot is also trying to suppress a story. It’s all there if you care to look online. We live in a new age don’t we? The communications landscape has changed to such a degree that PR consultants are not needed anymore. PR is dead, long live social media.

I don’t really believe that. Have I ever had a story that has had global significance? Not really. Am I constantly being called by tabloid journalists? No. Am I ever going to make front page news? Not unless I shoot somebody or bed a royal. Have I come across a client who wants to make their entire communications strategy social? No. So why is the PR world so worried about social media and the impact it’s having? Probably because we recognize its importance, but currently can’t predict to what extent it will change what we do. We can make assumptions, but technology has a way of changing everything and nobody can predict future advancements. Remember sending your first email? I do and that certainly did change things. Will social media have the same impact?

Twitter is an ideal mechanism for breaking news and networking. But it only works if your target audience is on Twitter and is receptive to the information you send it. Take manufacturing as an example. Do you think it is a sector that embraces change and leads the way in new communication techniques? I don’t. Yes, it has to be aware of product innovations and significant budget is allocated to research and development. But is it awash with Twitter hardened activists breaking news about the latest end-of-line warehousing game changer? Technology is crucial to many business models but not the way those models communicate.

You are always going to have sectors that lead the way and salivate over Twitter driven campaigns that break boundaries. But many sectors still aren’t convinced and the majority are currently happy to keep a watching brief.

However, the PR sector has quite rightly positioned itself as the main advocate of social media. It has had to change and take onboard new channels. It has had to learn to be more concise (about time too). It has had to become more interactive. It has had to learn to share. PR professionals are in the process of learning many new things, which is why the industry is nervous. It’s like learning a new language. Remember that first time you ordered steak and chips in French? It was uncomfortable, but necessary.

The shooting highlighted how far social media, and in particular Twitter, has been accepted but it also demonstrated to me the type of news that it is relevant for. When planning a PR campaign there are various messages that need to be communicated, some will have viral appeal where as others will be more suited to traditional channels. The upshot being that PR is right to take ownership of social media activity but it shouldn’t ignore its history. Some of the tools that we have always used are still very appropriate today.

Believe the hype, but don’t get too drunk on it.