PR and Podcasting

Today I am going to discuss the effectiveness of podcasting in the PR industry. A podcast is a series of audio, video, PDF or ePub files downloaded through the web. The word comes from iPod and broadcast. Since the expansion of the Internet the podcasting market had grown and many business and companies have taking this idea on board. Many PR companies for example would have a sample podcast on their Facebook page or website to entertain their audience. These video or audio clips would only last for up to 9 minutes max but it adds quality to a Webpage or site. PR professionals are well aware also that it increases their ranking in the search engine. Podcasts however are not only a very good way to entertain their audiences but also an easy Way to present information to, through video tutorials or radio interviews.

PR and SocialPro

Today I am going to talk about PR and a social networking tool called Social Pro. Social Pro is a powerful tool that allows to manage all your favourite sites and automatically update your MailChimp list with social networking sites like twitter Facebook Instagram and LinkedIn. This site is ideal for PR companies as they only have update their status or picture once and it is then updated for all of their social networking sites. This saves time and increases work effectiveness.

PR and Pinterest

Today I am going to talk about the advantages of Pinterest when in the Pr and communications industry. Pinterest is a pinboard-style photos sharing website. It allows users to pin pictures, create boards 'colleges' of their favourite pictures. Users can upload their own images or pin other images from other sources. PR companies can take this site to their full advantage by using other social media tools to direct traffic to their Pinterest account as Pinterest is linked with many sites like Facebook, twitter , blogger and Google Plus. Pinterest is very popular among women with the most pinned pictures themed at food and drink DIY and crafts. PR companies are aware of the majority female users and take this to their full advantage by Pinterest to communicate young female audience. However Pinterest is mainly used for businesses. Many retail companies in particular use Pinterest to promote their products. For example the brand Calvin Klein use Pinterest to promote their brand. Business can create their own page follow other uses and share and pin pictures.

PR and LinkedIn

Today I am going to talk about the advantages of LinkedIn a social networking site for professionals. LinkedIn has a wide user base with more than 200 Million users. LinkedIn allows PR professionals to maintain their list of connections that they have built up over time. This is stored on their LinkedIn profile. All users of the site can upload their cv design their own profile and showcase their work. Since August 2011 LinkedIn has been available for android, iPhone and smartphone. This changed the way that LinkedIn was used by companies as PR professionals could be connected to their business colleges 24/7. LinkedIn also allows companies to showcase their brand and demonstrate your companies expertise. You can add videos tell other LinkedIn members about your company, it's culture and its employees. PR practitioners take this website to their full advantage as they also use it to direct traffic to their website and Facebook pages telling customers more about what they offer.

PR and Google +

Today I am going to discuss the advantages of Google Plus when operating in an industry like PR. Firstly Google Plus has 400 million users registered and another 100 million active users. The site is free and it a very effective form of marketing because of its user base. It also uses circles a very clever form of marketing which allows individuals and business like PR to separate relevant audiences into different groups. This means that you can target the right audiences with the right material. Google Plus is also a custom engine so it makes relevant what is most popular come up first to those that is least relevant. Google plus increases awareness of your brand and drives traffic to your site. For an industry like PR unlimited editing power is essential as they need to constantly communicate with their customer. Another advantage to Google Plus which I touched on in the introduction is its wide audience. Everybody this day and age needs a email account for something whether it is for college, work or applying for a job. PR professionals are aware that individuals will sign up to Google Plus to maximise there online and emailing experience. It's infrastructure is also something which PR practitioners take to their full advantage. It has links to platforms like YouTube Facebook and twitter to mention a few. Pr companies can refer an individuals to other links to other sites they have, this has become a very successful part of what Google Plus can do.

PR and Instagram

Today I am going to discuss the advantages of Instagram with businesses like PR. Instagram had a wide user base with over 80 million people. It is an app that is available to android and smartphones that allows you to edit and share your photos worldwide. For Industries like PR Instagram allows you to browse through different competitors sites an see what's out there. Also up there with Twitter, Instagram is one of the most successful online marketing sites in the world. It allows you to interact with your customers by allowing you to follow them, they to follow you, liking pictures and sharing. PR professionals have the option to showcase their clients collection of products on offer and services that they provide. The site runs 24/7 making sure PR companies communicate with their customers at all times. The site allows followers to have an 'exclusive backstage pass' into your business. This is exactly what this consumer driven age crave. Many PR companies take this approach. Finally the main charm the Instagram has which attracts many users to the site is that it adds the wow factor to your photos. There are many filters you can but on your photos which will give that extra effect. PR agencies take this photo editing to their full advantage to enhance reality.

PR and Twitter

Today I am going to discuss the advantages of Twitter and its impact on the PR and communications industry.
Twitter is one of the biggest if not the biggest online marketing business in the world. It connects hundreds of millions of people and businesses everyday. There is probably only a handful of small businesses left that don't own a Twitter account. Twitter creates a better service for your customers. You as a PR professional must be constantly connected with your customer. This site allows you update your status, anywhere anytime in the world 24/7. It also allows for customer feedback such as retweeting and favouriting. This is a great way to gain extra publicity with your customers and even potential customers. As a retweet from a customer with 200 followers is extra exposure. Twitter is a great social media tool as it can be used along side many other social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook and Buffer. Buffer.com is a handy tool for PR practitioners. As it allows to schedule your tweets. You can right up your tweets in advance an then set them for a particular time to be published. Trends on twitter are a PR professionals heaven. Anytime anything hits the news you can bet it is trending on Twitter like wildfire. Millions of ordinary people giving there own opinions, sharing articles and hashtaging pages. Many PR companies would use this method to gain exposure for their event as it is a very effective form of publicity. For example the boy band 1 direction's PR team get them trending almost every week for recognition so that their songs will rise in the charts.

PR and Facebook

Facebook is the worlds most popular social networking site of all time with 1 billion users. It has become so powerful it is changing the way that services and businesses across the world operate. Facebook is a great tool for PR and communication companies as it always them remain connected to to their customer. With android and smartphones taking over people's lives people are now connected to Facebook 24/7. These companies take this to there full advantage and post up regular updates on their special offers and upcoming events. For small PR and communication companies with limited advertising and PR budgets Facebook is a cheap and cost effective way to promote their service. Facebook also has many other uses to a PR professional. It can also be used as a very cheap form of marketing, with the use of individuals sharing their feelings, what's happening in their daily lives, likes and comments. This commenting and liking of items on Facebook is also a great way for PR professionals to build relationships with their target market. Most of the time the customers do all the work for the PR professionals by sharing to their friends. Finally the one thing PR and communicate professionals must remember that Facebook is only effective if it is up to date. It is crucial that they update their page regularly, this maintains a good brand image.

PR and Video-casting

With online technologies such as social media, podcasting and video casting rapidly taking off in recent years it is important that PR and communications companies take advantage of these new technologies. This week I am going to discuss the advantages that video-casting Has on PR and communications companies. These companies use video-casting to connect with their customer or client in a personal level. They can Taylor make their videos for a particular audience, whether it is for a young of older audience. These companies make a physical connection with their audience through image, voice, music and setting.It is also a more cost effective form of PR as it is a lot cheaper than paying for tv advertising or radio broadcasting. Video -casting is also more accessible to a wider audience. It is available 24 7, 7 days a week. This is ideal for communications companies as they need to be constantly connected with the customer and also constantly updated. PR companies also use guerrilla marketing campaign via YouTube to create a trend. This is a very effective way to create brand awareness and it is instant too. PR companies are aware that the majority of YouTube users are young people aged between 18 to 30. So they aim many of their marketing videos toward that audience. For example the sprite giant soda machine shower video was a very famous marketing video. It attracted a young audience and made the product seem desirable and trendy for young people. With over hundreds of millions of people the YouTube everyday it would be only foolish for a PR company not to jump on the band wagon.

Niamh O' Rourke

PR and Webpages

There are so many advantages to having a Webpage when running any business in the 21st century. This week I am particularly going to focus on the advantage of having a good Webpage in the communication and PR industry. With over hundreds of millions of people having access to the Internet across more than 190 countries. A Webpage has a wide global market that can break through geographical barriers. This is not only an effective form of media but an instant one too. Communication and PR companies look for as much exposure as they can possibly get having a well designed Webpage is vital for their business. PR companies pump big money into Webpage design and maintenance. This so they have a better engine ranking driving search traffic to their site. They also employ a person full time to ensure full customer interaction,web maintenance and to keep the design consistent and up to date. PR and communication companies are all about maintaining mutual relationships and Webpages are seen as a way to gain more trust with your target market. PR companies use this technology to full effect to gain customer satisfaction and loyalty. Webpages are also a cheap and flexible form of advertising. Being in the field of communications and PR it is important to stay connected at all times. Webpages fill this brief perfectly as they operate 24 hours 7 days a week. They also provide a customer care and contact information , they are a great source of reference. Finally we must remember that PR and communication companies constantly crave information about there clients and target audiences. Webpages provide a pool of knowledge for these companies by visitor polls, online surveys and comments. This is a useful and cheap way to create a database.

Niamh O'Rourke

PR and Email messaging

In recent years the role that online media has played in the operation of Communication and PR has increased dramatically. Over the next few weeks I will discuss how different online technologies play a major role in the effectiveness of this sector. 
This week I will discuss the effectiveness that emails have in Communication and PR industry.
 Emails stand for electronic mail, they are an instant form of communication and are used globally, connecting hundreds of millions of people each day. In communication and PR, emails not only connect people in that organisation internally but externally too. Directors in a PR company can connect with their employee's regularly and instantly. For example if there was a PR crisis all staff would need to be well connected with senior members in order for the operation to run smoothly. In big PR companies not all employees would get the chance to communicate one to one with company directors, emails provide a formal channel of communication in those circumstances.  Emails are used in Communications and PR to formally send out press releases and photocall notices. This is an effective form of communication as it is instant. If these were sent via post it would take days and PR companies need instant communication between the client. PR companies would not be as successful if communication between third parties was not instant. You can also attach a file with an email like a photograph, videos or sound clips. PR companies would use this when they receive emails from photographers, marketing and design companies when working on a project for a client. Because the PR industry is all about projects and deadlines.Emails are a major source of communication because of it structure. It arranges each date of every email in order . PR companies also can flag their email which marks them important or come with a deadline.

We now underestimate the effectiveness of emails in modern society as new technologies emerge, however businesses still heavily rely on this technology such as the PR and Communications industry. 

Niamh O' Rourke.