“Digital Public Relations”
- a video lesson for students of BLISc program of Dr BR Ambedkar Open University
- Y Babji
What is Public Relations ?
Traditionally, PR is an art of promoting goodwill between an individual or an organisation and the publics. Its aim is to convince and persuade stakeholders. As such, PR is a specialized and a strategic management function. Its primary activity is to maintain media relations as most of PR activities are connected with Media.
Number of explanations are there for the term “Public Relations” given by several individual authors and professional organizations. But, if you observe the definitions given by PRSA & BIPR, the world’s two major PR professional bodies, they were very aptly coined.
Public Relations Society of America initially defined that “PR helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other." Now, it developed a crowd-sourced definition that says: "PR is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics".
British Institute of Public Relations earlier explained that “PR is the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its publics”. Later, the same Institute added that “PR is the key to effective communication in all sectors of business, Govt, academics and not-for-profit organizations.”
Thus, managing of information & communication between the organisation and its publics is a major function of Public Relations. Achieving positive public image is important for any organisation. Organisation can be anything - a Govt, an institution, a company, an establishment or any entity. Every organisation has both management and the connected people. Library is a Service Organisation. Library’s Management includes Librarian and the concerned Public includes the Readers. Be it a PRO or a Librarian, he or she shall bank upon new technologies to deliver the intended services to the public.
What is digital PR and how is it different from traditional PR ?
Digital PR is nothing but version 2.0 of Public Relations. It means it is next level in PR. This PR 2.0 is a convergence of traditional PR with internet enabled New Media and technology enabled Social Media. It generally results in faster and innovative communication. It facilitates communication of right information to the right audience using right medium.
If, traditional PR is a practice of utilizing traditional media like Newspapers, TV & Radio to maintain relations with the targeted audience, Digital PR uses New Media and Social Technologies not only to maintain relations, but also to manage information and communication, to create awareness, understanding, maintain reputation and to enhance brand identity of an organisation.
What are the disadvantages of Traditional PR ?
As the Traditional PR depends on Traditional Media, the disadvantages can be -
Slow dissemination of information;
Delayed feedback;
Less transparent;
Centralized and controlled information;
Expensive;
Limited audience;
Outdated information and
Time-consuming etc
What is New Media ?
New Media is a generic term for different forms of electronic communication. Thus, New Media is a means of mass communication using digital technologies. It means, it is related to internet and interplay between technology, images & sound.
It is different from Print and Electronic media i.e. Newspapers, Radio and Television. Together, print and electronic media are called as conventional media or mainstream media or legacy media.
The aspects of ‘New Media’ are … Websites, Wikipedia, E-mail, Short Message Service, Online communities, Blogs, Vlogs, Web advertising, Pod-casting, Virtual reality environments, Internet telephony etc
New Media changes at a faster rate and becomes quickly outdated as the technology continues to evolve. New Media changes unpredictably and continues to evolve on a daily basis.
What is Social Media and how it differs from New Media ?
Social Media has emerged as another New media in the 21st Century and it is far ahead of traditional media i.e. Print & Electronic Media. While New media is New when compared to Traditional Media, the Social Media is Peoples Media. It is extensively used by the individuals in the Society with the help of Social Technologies. Social Media is a subset of New Media which encourages interactivity and participation in social networking. It uses tools of information communication technology over the internet, like websites, networking platforms and applications that enable users to create and share content right from opinions, insights, experiences, perspectives to even personal timeline. The traditional media will remain slow and sluggish unless they become compatible with New Media.
In short, Social Media is a social interaction, where “word of mouth” goes viral. Social Media is shifting from computers to smart phones. People trust more of Social Media and less of Traditional Media because they trust their friends & relatives than a third party conventional media.
What is social networking ?
Digital influence is largely a phenomenon of social networking. Social networking is using of dedicated websites, network platforms and applications to find people with similar interests, to interact with them, to share and consume information of mutual interest. You all know and you are also using some of the social networking sites like - Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Plus+, Instagram, Skype, Telegram, Reddit etc
What are the advantages of Digital PR
With Digital PR, interactivity and linking is possible whereas it is absent in traditional PR.
Look at the advantages -
Building connections with public
Establishing a two way communication with publics
Reaching out to broader audience
Accessing is measurable
Expediting circulation of information
Enabling to reach people directly
Engaging public in conversation
Instant feedback
Strengthening media relations
Saving organization’s money
Updating and sharing information 24/7
Reducing middlemen
Engaging in CSR activities
And the disadvantages ?
Lack of control on information
Misuse of information
Misunderstanding, Mis information, Dis information
Difficulty in selecting appropriate tools/platforms/networks
Necessity to manage different tools, networks and platforms
But all these disadvantages are minimal
What services of library can be attended through Digital PR ?
Internet and World Wide Web offer great facilities for extending library services online. Librarians could gain good knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of various tools of technology.
If the Librarian is tech-savvy, the following library services can be attended online, without a fatigue.
Membership registration
Conduct of surveys
Cater to the information needs & feedback
Library bulletins, e-newsletters, e-journals & other periodicals
E-Newsroom for media people
Forms and Templates to make requests for Mags & Books
Homepage dynamism to draw attention
Talks and other lectures
Popup windows/messages to advertise library products
Manage and advertise Library events
Image building activities
Online reference services
Online library tours
Online user education courses
Institutional electronic chats, meetings, conferences
Create knowledge portals
Manage institutional knowledge resources/repositories
What are the uses of social media for practising PR in Libraries and what Social Media sites are suitable for a Library ?
Library is a community institution where Social Media can be used in different ways. The tools and networks of Social Media are many, cheap, instant, convenient and easy to use and to spread information about the Library. Easy for publicizing the services of the Library. Easy for marketing various products of Library. Social Media platforms like Facebook, Youtube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest are important networks. WhatsApp groups are helpful for intra-group communication.
A Librarian, just as a PR man, must be trendy and quick to adopt changes in the Society and the emerging Technology. He should travel with the technology and sail with social media in order to meet the information requirements of both the Organization and its Publics that he serves.
