Maybe PR professionals should take a step back from social media

I overheard some peers in class recently discussing their “social media internships.” I was somewhat surprised to hear how frustrated they were with their work, saying that they were struggling with engagement and that for the companies they were working for, social media simply wasn’t doing much for them. One person told me they are doing Twitter and Facebook work for a construction company, and claimed her engagement on these platforms has been rather low. I said “well duh.”

I think what’s important to consider, when talking about social media, is what industry you work in. Nowadays, PR professionals are taught extensively about social media in college, I should know. In school, professors preach “social media!” to everyone, and it’s become a major part of our curriculum. These students graduate and go off to work in PR thinking they need to be using Facebook and Twitter no matter what, and for certain industries (entertainment and media is a great example) those platforms will be integral. But not every company and organization needs to have a “social media intern.” Social media has become a fad, one that is useful and effective for some, but overused by many who don’t really need it. 

It’s important to not let social media take over PR education. Additionally, most people my age have social media pretty figured out. Facebook and Twitter have made it incredibly easy to organize content and track metrics. I have my own Facebook page for my music with nearly 5,000 followers (which I had managed to keep very active up until late last year when I went on a musical hiatus). But the point is I was able to generate enough quality content and keep track of my metrics incredibly easily without any help or training. One luxury I have with my Facebook page is it’s revolving around music, something a lot of people are more willing to follow online. But to be perfectly honest, most PR students will not go into the sort of industry that gets a lot of social media activity. And let’s be honest, nobody wants to follow your construction or pool cleaning company on Facebook. And with Facebook organic reach numbers slumping in recent months, it makes sense to consider putting social media on the back burner for your organization.

I’m not trying to say we should abandon social media as a PR tool, it’s still an important resource for marketers and PR pros. I just don’t think we should be trying to make social media work for every type of company and organization and forcing it down people’s throats. Maybe I’m just jaded…

http://www.facebook.com/iamaaronwayne

http://adage.com/article/digital/facebook-admits-organic-reach-brand-posts-dipping/245530/