“In this uber-connected, increasingly transparent landscape, our core skills remain the same – modification of those skills is just part of continued development. For example, good writing will always be required; there is no excuse for bad grammar or spelling. Text speak should stay in the text message service; brevity in 140 characters is a skill.” — Gabrielle Laine-Peters
Modern technology and the rapid reach of social media has been a game changer for the PR industry, a u-turn in the direction of messaging. Whereas in the past we held the “conch,” today’s consumer is an avid participant of “word of mouth” reputation, spread through social platforms at the speed of light.
However, as Gabrielle Laine-Peters, CIPR Social Media Advisory Panelist & Consultant points out above, in order to truly evolve, it’s essential you maintain the skills that have brought you this far. Trying to master Twitter when you haven’t yet mastered grammar would be an exercise of futility.
Gabrielle joined Vocus UK last week for a webinar on ‘Future Skills for PR’, where she explained why the maintenance of your basic skills of communication is just as key to your survival as keeping abreast of new technologies
Here are some of your questions she didn’t have time to answer.
Q: “Do I need to be everywhere or should I focus on the main channels?”
A: Everywhere is a lot of places to be. Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Google+ are basic. If you, your brand, product are visual, Instagram and Pinterest are very busy platforms.
Q: “What sort of resource should I commit to on social media?”
A: This really depends on your size (individual, SME etc.) What do you want social media to do for you? Setting objectives is key. The first step is to listen. I believe IBM spent a year monitoring and just listening before they ‘said’ anything.
Q: “Heard about the term ‘snack-sized’ content? What do you think about this?”
A: I’ve just read about it. Seems like a new name for something we’ve been doing for a while. Part of using digital channels and social platforms well is being able to develop accessible and shareable content.
Q: “Should one follow any specific rules in the Hotel industry, particularly in a vacation resort?”
A: I don’t think that there are any specific rules for the Hotel industry. It is a sector that can really use social media productively. Intercontinental as a group do a good job and take a look at @ICMarkHopkins on Twitter – interactive, responsive and fun. Also, Andrew Grill’s blog.
