Social Public Relations (Social PR) is the practice of writing press pieces styled specifically to be read and responded to on the internet. Typically, Social Public Relations pieces will tie in social media forums such as YouTube, MySpace, BonoVox PR, and social bookmarks such as Technorati, Digg and Reddit, in an effort to foster social interaction. What makes Social PR unique is that the interaction, and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and “building” of shared meaning, as people share their stories, and understanding of the topic.
Social PR is a form of Social Media Marketing (SMM), which uses the “wisdom of crowds” to connect information in a collaborative manner. Social PR may be distributed across Internet forums, message boards, weblogs and wikis to help convey the story or message. Herein lays the distinction between Social PR and traditional press. Social PR is fundamentally different from traditional PR found in media such as newspapers, television and radio, because Social PR relies on interactions between people as the discussion and integration of words builds shared-meaning among the community.
Successful Social PR campaigns start with content that is remarkable, unique, and newsworthy. This content can then be marketed by popularizing it or even by creating a “viral campaign,” such as a video on YouTube. Social PR is about being social so this “off-page” work can include getting involved in other similar blogs, forums, and niche communities. Search Engine Marketing or SEM involves utilization of all available Social Networking platforms to brand a product using Search Engine Optimization or SEO techniques of communication, to the end consumer.
Finally, in the context of Internet marketing, Social PR allows a person or company to be strategically placed on the web. Social Media Optimization (SMO) is the process of trying to get one’s content more widely distributed across multiple social media networks. Both SEO and SMO, refer to “on-page” tactics through which a webmaster can use to improve a website for the age of social media. Such optimization includes adding links to services such as Digg, Reddit and Del.icio.us so that their pages can be easily ‘saved and submitted’ to and for these services.
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I’d be careful about trying to build a new category of PR. Social PR is just another discipline within the comms function.
Ed Bernays had it right all along: “If you can influence the leaders, either with or without their conscious cooperation, you automatically influence the group which they sway”.
Influencing the masses through engagement of leaders to change behavior is at the heart of PR’s roots. Social Media then is another channel in which we can access the leaders and influence their perceptions.
If they are participating in a conversation along and have a better perception of your company, then the influence has worked.
Interesting blog. Will be coming back.
MC
Not sure I agree with some of your definitions here (Social PR a form of social media marketing – might be questioned by some PR’s!), but it’s an emerging space and the divisions are definitely blurred. I’m hosting a conference on exactly this in London next month: http://socialmediamarketing.co.uk/socialpr/ You’re welcome to join us.