Public relations is more important than it’s ever been before, thanks mainly to the way in which social media has led to us all living our lives in public. These days, if your company makes a mistake, then it’ll be all over Facebook and Twitter before you know it. And now that social networking is mainstream, companies of all shapes and sizes are at risk.
The good news is that many of these dilemmas can be offset as long as you’re aware of them and actively taking steps to combat them. And so with that in mind, let’s jump on in and take a look at the seven hidden PR dilemmas that are holding your business from growth.
1. Social media complaints
Social media complaints can be a huge problem, especially if you let them go unchecked. Remember that not everyone will @mention you in their complaint and so you might have to actively search them out. If you’re struggling to file responses to complaints on social media sites, consider seeking Assignmentgeek assignment help—they can help you to draft a set of responses for different situations so that you know how to respond in any given situation.
2. Shoddy spelling and grammar
The words that your company uses to communicate with people can have a huge impact on the way that you’re perceived. In fact, one study found that a single spelling mistake can cut online sales in half, and typos and grammar fails on emails, letters and other marketing material can cause damage too. The good news is that you can find cost effective proofreaders by working with an essay writing company like Best Essays.
3. No relationships with journalists
Building relationships with journalists is a great way to make sure that you’re the first people that they get in touch with when a new story is breaking and they need a comment. Accountancy firms actually have an edge here, because many companies create specific products or work in industries that rarely hit the news. Accountancy firms are always relevant because there’s always breaking news in the financial industry as well as known upcoming events like government budget announcements.
4. Backfiring social media posts
One of the most common mistakes that companies make is when they post an insensitive social media update or they say something that backfires. That’s why it’s a good idea to double and triple check any updates before you post them. Again, if you’re struggling with your social media updates then it’s a good idea to work with a third-party like Rushessays and Assignmentmasters so that you can get a second pair of eyes on your updates before you post them.
5. Poor attempts to piggyback trends
Building on from the last point, many brands try to take part in trends without fully understanding the context. An extreme example of this is when Celeb Boutique attempted to hijack the #Aurora hashtag, not realising that it was trending because of a mass shooting. Of course, the stunt quickly backfired, but it could have been avoided completely by the brand ensuring that it understood the context of the trend it was trying to take part in.
6. An over-focus on social media
Social media and digital marketing are hot topics at the moment, and for good reason. At the same time though, they’re not magic bullets that will solve all of your problems. When it comes to PR and media relations, too many companies pin all of their hopes on social networking, forgetting that old school offline relationships are still just as relevant as ever before. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.
7. Lack of a response plan
Ultimately, mistakes happen to the very best of us and there’s no way to fully guarantee that you’ll avoid hidden PR dilemmas. That’s why you need to make sure that you have a plan in place so that if something does happen, you know exactly what steps you need to take to reduce its impact as much as possible. On top of that, remember that the rules of crisis management are constantly changing, so you’ll want to regularly revisit your response plan to make sure that it’s as relevant as possible.
Conclusion
PR dilemmas can pose a major threat to your company, but the good news is that knowing is half the battle. Now that we’ve shared a few of the most common hidden PR dilemmas that hold businesses back, you can take steps to make sure that you avoid them. Remember: if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Good luck.
