I had the privilege of writing this article earlier in the year for an online magazine. I equally felt that this piece would be useful to readers of this blog and decided to share it here.

Public Relations is highly beneficial to all business organisations, be it public, private or third sector. It acts as an indispensable catalyst when promoting and raising awareness in favour of an organisation, business (products and services) and or event to the public domain.

In order to achieve this, certain practical techniques need to be employed for effectiveness. However, caution needs to be taken to determine the most applicable and appropriate technique that would be profitable in raising a business profile, as factors such as an organisation’s size, target audience, budget and message type tend to determine choices. Outlined below are some PR tips that can be useful in getting your business noticed;

• Market Segments: Understanding the nature of target audience makes PR efforts effective. This is done by identifying the segment of the public you want to communicate with, whether existing or potential customers, students, working class or the general public.

• Messages: Careful planning needs to be done in order to construct clear and concise messages that portray the desired intentions of the sender to receiver, as messages act as a point of contact between both parties.

• Press Conferences: When it comes to publicity purposes, PR does a good job through press conferences. They are highly effective in promoting and increasing the awareness of your business. Make sure a media spokesperson for your organisation is well prepared to speak and answer questions from invited journalists, trade bodies, consumers and the general public.

• Press Releases: A well written press release surely gets your business noticed if they are published. It’s safe to have releases short and straight to the point conveying the ‘who, what, why, when, where and how’ of your business announcement, as poorly written releases end up in most editors’ bin.

• Social Media: The internet has brought immense opportunities for showcasing businesses, by reinforcing and sustaining their goods and services in the minds of the public. The good thing about social media is that they are free; please don’t be left behind, start creating accounts for your businesses.

• Websites: If your business cannot be found on the URL (uniform resource locator), how then is it going to be heard of or noticed. If your business hasn’t got one, now is the time to do so as this is one of the fastest ways the public can contact or give feedback. It just doesn’t end there; websites need to be updated continually.

I’m confident that either of the PR tips listed above when employed will definitely assist in promoting and maximising your business potentials to the public. Go for it!

The prompt response to contemporary trends in the online environment by individuals, organisations, brands and others are increasing daily. It’s definitely because of the several advantages it offers. Brands like Skittles has taken that bold step and the distressed brand Woolworths with its recent re-launch online. The opportunities in the online environment are unending; there is always something new that is beneficial to web users.

Looking at the opportunities it offers organisations, the online world is a lucrative platform for any organisation to promote, advertise and market their products and services using various new media technologies. It enables individual organisations create awareness of their products and services using unique advertising and marketing strategies which ultimately wins the hearts of customers and attracts them to their brands. Also, organisations are able to interact and engage with customers directly through social networks like twitter, facebook and blogs. This enables them meet customers’ needs better through feedback and creates an atmosphere for building a lasting relationship with them. Customers are truly satisfied when given the opportunity to have personal interaction with brands they like; you only get this sort of connection online.

Customers in search of products and services first go online to get information before acting, as we all know shopping online saves money, time and energy. Why would you want to stress yourself when you can be in the comfort of your home and purchase several products from any location in the world? Another advantage is that your purchases are delivered right at your doorstep with a handful of them free.

The online environment creates opportunities for individuals to express, promote and communicate their creativities, ideas and talents all over the world. Recently Lauren Luke got her fame for giving celebrity makeup tips through YouTube; this has landed her a contract with an American makeup company set to start her own makeup line. Not to forget, love seekers now indulge in online dating, it’s cool but be careful. Really, I think the opportunities the online environment creates are awesome.

What would it be like to have an MA in Social Media? That will soon become a reality, come September 2009 the Birmingham City University will open its doors to pioneer postgraduate students in Social Media.

Most social networks are strictly for entertainment purposes, but having a degree using them is really amazing. A question crossed my mind, why should a university offer an MA in Social Media? My guess is that the role social media has to play in the future is vital. Already, PR practitioners, Marketers, Advertisers and other fields of profession are making use of various social networks to reach their target audience. This alone shows the indispensable nature of social media.  

Some schools of thought have criticised the course thinking it’s a waste of university resources and a waste of time when it can be self taught. Another school of thought like PR professional Neville Hobson is in support of the degree. The interesting thing is that students are enthusiastic about the experience, according to the course convenor Jon Hickman there has been good response from potential students. Here is a blog and tweets about the course.

In general, I believe that equipping PR, Journalism and Marketing students with the necessary knowledge and skills in social media will be beneficial to them in the long run. For instance, Leeds Metropolitan University offers an optional course module on PR and New Media which was introduced last year to its Marketing and Public Relations students. Here, students are to set up and maintain a blog which reflects personal interests, social media, online PR and Marketing. I happen to be part of this success story, so far I am certain that my course mates and I are experiencing a great time with various social media tools and their application.

This shows a few universities are waking up to the call of social media and its impact to the society, I couldn’t agree more. Good luck Birmingham City University!!