Myth #2 - “I’m Doing Social Media - I Don’t Need to Engage Traditional Media”
Social media provides an amazing opportunity to deliver messages in a targeted and direct fashion. In fact, in many ways, it has brought PR back to its roots of connecting directly with your publics - but instead of going one-on-one in street campaigns, it allows you to directly relate to a larger group of people virtually. The social dialogue is a fantastic way to nurture brand loyalty.
However, integrating traditional media into your marketing campaign is essential to truly take your business to the next level. The credibility that traditional media provides cannot be undervalued. When your business receives a third-party “endorsement” by being covered in the press, it is instantly elevated in the minds of consumers.
Furthermore, you can spend a lot of time, energy and money growing your list of online followers, one person at a time. There are many tools and strategies to do this. When you have the opportunity to be on TV, radio or in print/online media outlets, however, you are reaching thousands, tens of thousands and sometimes millions all at one time. This takes you out of the “small pond” and into the ocean.
Finally, an active public relations program will ensure that your business has fresh and relevant news and content to pump into your social media stream. The Pew Research Center found that 75% of online news consumers get news forwarded through email or posts on social networking sites. Traditional media opportunities secured for your business can now live on forever not just in your business portfolio, but by being actively shared through social media channels. The very act of sharing news helps further elevate your business credibility.