Changes Brought on by Blogging and Social Media on Public Relations - Coursework Example

Changes Brought on by Blogging and Social Media on Public Relations Changes Brought on by Blogging and Social Media on Public Relations The developments in technology that have occurred over the years have brought about a number of new introductions such as the internet that have revolutionized various aspects of business and relating operations. One of the introductions that have been brought about by the creation of the internet is the blog. A blog can be described as a site that is designed for discussion or provision of information on various subjects that is published onto the World Wide Web (Bruns & Jacobs, 2006). The act of publishing information on such sites is known as blogging and has affected various sectors of business operations and one such notable sector is Public Relations and its activities. Public Relations (PR) is the act of managing the informational flow that occurs between a business/company or organization and the public (Stuart, 2012). It is an essential part of business operations, and any successful company requires this part of business in order to maintain a relationship with its target market which in this case can be referred to as the audience. The introduction of blogging to the business world has affected the public relations sector in a number of ways, and it can be said that it has become an essential factor in this part of business as its popularity has continued to rise over the years (Fraser, 2007). Companies have developed the need to integrate blogs and blogging into their PR system as its growth has made it a medium of importance. There are various changes that have been brought on by blogging on Public relations as it has affected various areas related to this practice. Some of these areas and the changes that have been to them include: Communication Communication can be said to be the sector that has been mostly affected by the introduction of blogging to Public Relations. The mode of communication has developed as a result of the introduction of blogs to the internet as the traditional methods can be said to have been surpassed as a result of this new activity (Bruns & Jacobs, 2006). Whereas in the past most companies depended on the more traditional mediums such as TV, Radio and Print media to pass on their information to the public, the introduction of blogs has brought on a new trend where these mediums are no longer a necessity for those organizations who may wish to pass on certain information to the public (Fraser, 2007). The internet has spread throughout the world like wild fire, and as a result there is a large demographic population that have turned to the World Wide Web as a source of information thus depending less on the other mediums such as Print and TV and radio. A company is now able to set up official blogs about their organization or certain products that they produce where they are able to pass on information to the public. The mode of communication has also changed as organizations are now able to interact directly with the public through these blogs (Bruns & Jacobs, 2006). This is done through sectors that have been set up on the blog such as comment sections where readers are able to post their reaction to the information they have received directly onto the blog. These reactions may be in the form of questions that they ma have regarding the information they have received or their thoughts on the subject being discussed. The organization is also able to post their replies onto the blog thus creating a new source of direct communication. Previous means of direct communication were not as simple as they comprised of setups such as hotlines that individuals would have to call if they wanted to have a direct line of communication to the organization. This was not always reliable as they were not always able to handle large flows of information from individuals, and if many people called at once, few would end up getting through while the rest would be met with a “busy” ring tone at the end of the line (Bonnye, Sarow & Stuart, 2007). Through the comment section in blogs, an organization can simply go through the various comments and answer the various queries that have been put upon them. Cost The cost of Public Relations can also be said to have been drastically reduced as a result of the introduction of blogs. The cost of PR in the past was expensive due to the procedures that were involved in passing on information to the public as well as the collection of any feedback that they may have received as a result (Fraser, 2007). As mentioned earlier, Public Relations used mediums that had large audiences at their disposal such as TV and Radio so as to have their messages delivered to as many people as possible (L’Etang, 2012). The use of these mediums is not a cheap affair and the cost of having their messages broadcasted to the public through took a large chunk of the organization’s expenses especially if the message was to be broadcasted on a regular basis. Airing such information on TV and radio and even print media such as newspapers and magazines cost the companies a lot of money and thus Public Relations could have been considered to be a very expensive affair. The introduction of blogs has changed all that as it is cheaper for an organization to set up a blog where they can deliver their information at a lesser cost especially if the blog is set up within the organization’s own website. In such a scenario, the delivery of information to the public via these blogs can be considered to be free of charge as the company does not incur any charges through the use mediums that is not under their control (Bonnye, Sarow & Stuart, 2007). Companies are now able to post messages on a daily basis if they wish to do so via these blogs as the factor of expenses is no longer a consideration that can potentially be a cause of worry. These blogs can also be shared on various social media, and through such acts the message is spread even further free of charge by those who wish to pass on the information to others. Speed The speed with which the information is passed on to the public and the feedback is collected has also been improved immensely as a result of the introduction of blogs to the Public Relations system of organizations (Fraser, 2007). Messages no longer have to be taken through the various procedures that were required with other media for example having to wait for an available slot to open up when dealing with radio and television broadcastings (Mutum & Wang, 2010). An organization wanting to pass on a certain message may have had to wait until their desire time slot was available in the medium which they chose in order for them to pass on the message which at times served as a disadvantage especially when the message was of an immediate nature. Desire time slots can be described as the established periods in a medium when many people would be listening or watching thus the message would be communicated to a larger audience. Lesser desired time slots such as Midnight to early morning would serve little to pass on the message as few people are tuned into television or the radio at these times. The introduction of blogs has meant that a company is able to simply post their information onto these sites whenever they want and have it available at all times for their target audience (Gaudeul & Peroni, 2010). An organization is able to develop and pass on a message on the same day via the use of a blog in contrast to other mediums, which would require a time frame that may not be advantageous to the company. The collection of feedback can also be done at a faster rate than was previously possible as the public is able to post their response immediately after receiving the message (L’Etang, 2012). The company is also able to collect and evaluate these responses firsthand instead of having to wait for external parties to perform this service on their behalf thus cutting the proverbial middle man from the picture. Effectiveness The introduction of blogs to the world of Public Relations can be said to have enhanced the effectiveness that the messages posted by the company has on the public (Garth & O’Donell, 2011). An organization is able to post a message in whichever form they may choose such as audio or visual form and direct it at the particular target audience that they are aiming for. This means that they are no longer “shooting blind” so to speak with their messages as the internet has allowed for one to reach the specific market that the message has been designed for (Mutum & Wang, 2010). This is because individuals who visit these blogs do so out of interest in what the company has to say and knowing that they will be able to get the needed information form this source. This is in contrast to other mediums such as TV and radio who simply broadcast the message they have been given by the organization in the hope that the target market will receive it (L’Etang, 2012). The message may reach a large number of people, but the question remains whether those who have received the message are the intended audience. Messages that are posted on these organizations’ blogs are able to reach those who are interested in the information, and as a result the effectiveness of the Public Relations activities is increased dramatically (Chinowth, 2010). The ability of the organization to answer direct questions from the public based on the information they have posted serves to enhance the efficiency of the messages that they are able to clear up any confusion that may have developed from the information posted ensuring that the public understands the message as it was meant to be. Relationship Building Blogging has also allowed organizations to build a stronger relationship with the public and their consumers as a result of the interaction they have with them. The previous methods that were used to pass on messages by the companies can be considered to have been impersonal to an extent as they did not really provide for a means in which the organization was able to interact with their target audience on a personal basis (Bruns & Jacobs, 2006). This is no longer the case with the use of blogs as companies have been accorded a direct line with the public through which they are able to communicate directly with individuals who may wish to do so. Building a relationship with their consumer base has always been an essential part of business as it ensures factors such as brand loyalty, which is a large part of profitability in an organization. Through the establishment of blogs, organizations are now able to personally relate with the public through various acts such as answering specific questions that have been asked by individuals or acting on information that they have been provided with by the public (L’Etang, 2012). Such acts show that the organization is realistically concerned with the needs of the public and serves to build up a personal rapport with the consumer public which acts as an advantage to the company. Whereas companies were not able to communicate or listen to their needs thorough radio and TV, blogs allow organizations to show that they care and thus build a personal relationship with the public (Mutum & Wang, 2010). Building such relationships not only help in maintaining the consumer base of the organization, but can also serve to expand as more individuals are attracted to their products as a result of the attitude of the company towards its present customers (Bonnye, Sarow & Stuart, 2007). Blogs cannot be considered to be cold and unfeeling if utilized in the right manner and can serve to bring out a human aspect of the organization leaving the public to feel like they have developed a personal association with the company. Conclusion In conclusion, the introduction of blogs into the world of Public Relationships has served to open up new avenues of communication that organizations are able to use to their advantage. The act of blogging can be seen as a means of not only providing information to the public, but doing so in a more direct and personal manner. References Bonnye E. S., Sarow, S. M., & Stuart, L. (2007). Integrated Business Communication: In a Global Marketplace. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Bruns, A. & Jacobs, J. eds. (2006). Uses of Blogs. Peter Lang, New York. Chinowth, E. (2010). The History of Public Relations. Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management. Fraser P. S. (2007). The Practice of Public Relations. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. 10e. Garth S. J. & ODonnell, V. (2011). Propaganda & Persuasion. New York: SAGE. Gaudeul, A. & Peroni, C. (2010). "Reciprocal attention and norm of reciprocity in blogging networks". Economics Bulletin 30 (3). LEtang, J. (2012). Public Relations: Critical Debates and Contemporary Practice. New York: Psychology Press. Mutum, D., & Wang, Q. (2010). "Consumer Generated Advertising in Blogs". In Neal M. Burns, Terry Daugherty, Matthew S. Eastin. Handbook of Research on Digital Media and Advertising: User Generated Content Consumption. 1. IGI Global. Stuart E. (2012). "Public Relations Defined, After an Energetic Public Discussion". New York Times. Read More