The recent news about Web strategist Blue State Digital, which famously created my.barackobama.com, winning Vogue.com’s digital and social media work is a reminder to the communications industry that this form of media still doesn’t really have a consistent home. Should it be the responsibility of the PR agencies, advertising agencies or newer “social” agencies? It depends on whom you ask.
Being a PR professional, I, of course, feel social media should fall under the PR umbrella. So much of social media involves community (or audience) relations – engaging your community, interacting with your community, conversing with your community – which is already a large part of PR. Plus, with the media industry shrinking before our eyes, social media provides PR practitioners another outlet to reach our desired audiences. It’s media relations without the media. We’re delivering the news directly to our customers without the use of a third party to distribute it.
On the flip side, an ad exec could have a similar argument – they use social media to promote products to their consumers without the use of a third party and without paying for it.
This goes to show why we are still debating over where to house social media. There seems to be a good argument from all sides. Either way, I can guarantee all agencies are clambering to stay competitive in the social media realm.
What are your thoughts on social media? Who should manage it?
on Facebook
on Twitter
Beth
I think it depends if you see social media as a “media” or as a “platform”. As a media, may be PR is a good fit for it. But then SEO will want to leverage it for Social Media Optimization and advertising for….
As a platform, I mean a platform for communication/marketing/messaging, there’s no owner really. It’s like asking who house/own email between the different function in an organization that are using it. There’s so many use case if you see it as a platform that touches every business process, starting with marketing, that the question makes no real sense.
Or may be the answer is the communities “house it”, outside of the enterprise, because more and more communities are in the driver seat (i.e: the core set of individuals driving the conversation on niche topics)
Laurent
Laurent,
Social media doesn’t really seem to have a “house,” does it? It’s used in many different ways by many different entities. I like the idea of communities housing or owning it, though. That puts the power back in the hands of the people, and that idea appeals to me.
I think this “debate” will continue, but I don’t see a conclusion.
Thanks for your comment.
–Beth