Chris Brogan’s blog post, “How to Market an Offline Event Online” got me thinking. Aside from the great tactical insight that Chris gives us on using social media for promoting an online event, the post reminds us that social media is just another set of tools in our PR garage.  Like the printed page, or telephone call, social media will just be something else we use to promote our brand, sell our product, and get our message out.  If you look closely, all folks that are being recognized for their social media acumen are also masters of traditional media PR. Chris Brogan, Brian Solis, Ben McConnell & Jackie Huba, Gary Vaynerchuk and the like are doing live events, appearing on TV shows, being quoted by the traditional press, writing books, and giving lectures that help build their brand as much as the social media work that they do.  All of these elements, be they ancient or recently invented, use the magic of “Out of Control Marketing” where your message is handed over to connectors who, in turn, pass your message along via media mentions or word-of-mouth.  Those who practice this are risk takers because they let their message be reshaped by those who pass it on, but, wow, does it pack credibility.  So, this is your cue to look beyond the hot topic and to dig deeper in to all aspects of marketing public relations.

The answer to the question is yes, of course social media is just a form of PR.  The delivery method is different, but the purpose and the skills need to execute both forms of promotion are the same.

 


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