Earlier this month, PRSA Nebraska, the local chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, gathered over the lunch hour to hear a panel address the topic of social media, titled “How to Make Social Media Work for You and Your Organization.” The panel, made up of three professionals from a nice variety of business, included:
- Jennifer Windrum, Public Relations Manager of Swanson Russell, a full-service marketing communications agency;
- Jeff Slobotski, Co-Founder of Silicon Prairie News (that’s us!); and
- Adam Coomes, President of Infegy, a company building innovative social technologies.
After an introduction from Kellie Habeeb, PRSA Nebraska’s monthly program coordinator, each of the panelists shared thier use of social media. Adam said that it’s a very easy way for him to connect with people that are looking for a solution that Infegy offers, referring to somebody tweeting about needing a product that monitors social media — Adam points them to Social Radar. Jeff said that he uses Twitter, Facebook, and Ustream to build a community of support for one another in Omaha. Jennifer said that she uses social media strategies and tactics for a variety of her clients. She set the tone for its importance when she said, “The days of traditional advertising, marketing, and communications are over. I’m pretty blunt.”
Next, Kellie asked, “Why does social media matter and why is it important to business?” Jennifer said that it matters because business is about relationships, and today, it’s never been easier to reach your customers. On the flip side, however, companies have also lost control of their messaging, “Consumers, aren’t wanting to hear, ‘Hey, hear this message.’”
“[Social Media is] extremely important to business because you’re getting straight on feedback from the very people you’re trying to reach, whether it’s good or bad,” Jennifer added. “I would look at that as an opportunity either way.”
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Adam echoed Jennifer by saying, “It’s no longer about what commercials are saying or what an ad says, [consumers] just see that and blank out. They hear what everyone else is saying about that product, about the company, and they listen to it and they believe it.” Jeff focused on engagement, saying, “Businesses can’t change the conversation that’s out there […] but they need to engage.” He recommended that companies “not try to shift that paradigm and loose that authenticity.”
Kellie’s final question was, “How do business approach social media directly?” Jeff led by saying, “Being authentic and staying authentic,” and then pointed to Zappos.com’s Twitter account maintained by its CEO, Tony Hsieh, as an example. Jennifer stressed relationships, saying that social media brings about accountability. She said that you can’t get by with letting a publicized negative experience left unattended. Adam added that outside of engaging with customers, listening is just as important. “Knowing what people want, what they don’t want, what they’re saying about you guys is extremely important. These are the things that other people are believing and hearing.”
Kellie then turned it over to questions from the audience, which touched on: time commitment, how not to be too promotional, the longevity of today’s social networks, how to interact with the press on Twitter, how to stick to brand guidelines, and how to explain social media ROI.
After the event, Jeff grabbed an interview with Adam Coomes, which is posted below the video of the luncheon.
Adam Coomes of Infegy
