This semester in this New Media-New Markets class we studied how social media has grown rapidly over the past couple of years. Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Blogger - all of these sites are blazing a new path in the world of marketing and pr. With each new media age you must follow new marketing strategies.
1) Marketing is more than just advertising
2) PR is for more than just mainstream media audience
3) You are what you publish
4) People want authenticity, not spin
5) People want participation, not propaganda
6) Instead of causing one-way interruption, marketing is about delivering content that at just the precise moment your audience needs it
7) Marketers must shift their thinking from mainstream marketing to the masses to a strategy of reaching vast numbers of undeserved audience via the web.
8) PR is not about your boss seeing your company on TV. It's about your buyers seeing your company on the web.
9) Marketing in not about your agency winning awards. It's about your organization winning business
10) The Internet has made public relations public again, after years of almost exclusive focus on the media.
11) Companies must drive people into purchasing process with great online content
12) Blogs, online video, e-books, news releases, and other forms of online content let organization communicate directly with buyers in a form they appreciate
13) Social networks allow people all over the world to share content and connect with people and companies they do business with
14) On the web, the lines between marketing and PR have blurred
(Scott, 2011)
Read these rules, learn them and practice them. But do remember that these will most likely be updated and changed over the next few years.
I myself have set a goal of working in the music public relations field once I graduate. Its a difficult field to break into, but its not impossible. With the relationships I build and the people I work with here at the House of Blues I'm hoping to make connections and get the experience needed.
Public Relations, in music specifically, has a massive focus on social media. Bands have set up band pages on facebook and myspace. You can stream music, post photos, make major announcements and reach all of your fans all with the click of a button. The amount of social media use may directly relate to your success. People have become accustomed to looking for new music online. It is an effective andcost worthy and decision to build yourself an online profile.
With my current job, we have a facebook page for our Foundation Room which is managed by myself and the manager of the space. We use the site to build events, announce new shows and gain interest in our location. It is important to always be updating the site, listing information people want to see and keeping the site fresh. We also have a company wide twitter account that hold ticket giveaways and find out what shows people want to see come to the area.
The course has also taught us how to build a sturdy website, what sort of content is required and the key behind using HTML codes. Dreamweaver and photoshop do make the process one million times easier but it never hurts to be able to write code and its a great resume booster. The extra time in class to work on our websites was great as I do not have access to that specific computer software anywhere else. Being able to ask questions and being shown the process is the best way for me to learn.
When i check back in on this blog in about a year I hope to have the good news that I am the director of public relations for a major band, touring the world...hey a girl can dream ...right ?
