The Future of New Communications in an Economic Crisis

Todd Defren of PR Squared posted on the promise of social media during the impending economic crunch, and I felt compelled to follow suit. Let me tell you why.

Coming out of University, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I had a double degree in English and Psychology; I loved to write; I was outspoken and opinionated and overly competitive. Well before I met PR, I knew that I wanted a career where all these would be advantageous– more than anything, though, I wanted to be irreplacable.

Some of the best advice I ever received in this biz was perfectly alligned with that goal: “The fastest way to rise to the top of your organization is to become an expert at something that your superiors a) know nothing about and b) cannot do with out. I’ve found that niche in new communications.

Social networking, blogger relations, podcasting, blogging, social search, SEO, micro-blogging– the tools are vast and expanding. And keeping up with these tools and their applications could save millions for organizations looking to redirect their marketing efforts.

As Deferen points out, the traditional move in times of economic uncertainty is to move money away from marketing initiatives when, in fact, there’s an advantage to be had by the organization that steps up their marketing investment.

The cost for stepping into the social media space is relatively low in comparison to traditional marketing initiatives. The challenge is having qualified people on your team who can advise you on how to maximize your potential in this space. I’ve said it before: social media is not for everybody, and it helps to have someone on your team who can assess why and, if needed, what you can do to change that.

Communications is beginning to blossom as top management realizes the ROI of these, and other, communication initiatives. Simply put: the value of communication is rising, and will continue to rise as more efficient ways to reach target audiences, whether for marketing/relationship building/brand management purposes, becomes necessary.

Do you see communications as bullet-proof or just as susceptible as Wall Street?

~ by Brandon Carlos on October 6, 2008.