By Cokey Falkow
Communication is where it all begins. How you communicate, both with the public, and internally within your company or organization, dictates how successful you will be in whatever venture you embark upon. If you communicate properly, you will reap the benefits and see growth over time.
Powerful communication can boost the process, if done correctly.
Technology has transformed the practice of Public Relations and marketing. Content creation and seeding, as well as conversation fanning generates interest, attention, and ultimately a boost in business.
It’s vital to embrace the new digital methods of communication to ensure success. Trends like the hybrid workplace and the metaverse affect both the workforce and customer experience. These technology advances continue to escalate and create new challenges.
No matter what business you are in, it’s vital to level up your communication skills, so that you can effectively reach customers, clients, and employees.
Why is communication so important?
The growth of new technologies and platforms in the communications landscape deliver as much uncertainty as they do opportunity. A negative news story can get published online and go viral in minutes, spinning out of control and triggering a PR crisis before an organization even has time to contemplate its response.
The way that we transfer ideas to others is via communication. Concepts and ideas are the way we think. If the communication coming from the company is misconstrued or misunderstood, you could end up in a world of hurt.
There are many instances of corporations falling short with their communications. In a world where every mobile phone has a camera that can immediately stream live to the Internet or at the very least capture on video or high-resolution pictures, you need to be aware of the consequences of poor communication.
One bad actor or slip of the tongue and the next thing you know you could be “cancelled” and find yourself in the mainstream media for all the wrong reasons.
Management needs to ensure that the teams are well-versed in their corporate culture, digital transformation, and how to communicate effectively with all stakeholders both internal and external.
Here are some challenges your PR team should be ready to deal with in 2023:
Social Media.
Seven-in-ten Americans use social media to connect with one another, engage with news content, share information and entertain themselves. (Pew Research) Your customers and clients expect real-time conversation on social media and an issue can escalate very quickly. Building an audience on platforms like Facebook and Instagram can be very rewarding, but it can also prove to be a major challenge for communicators. Your PR team needs to be ready to address any crisis that starts on social media and escalates to other traditional media.
Fake content
This is mostly confined to the political realm, but the technology is advancing rapidly. There are tools that make it easy for even a high school student or a disgruntled employee to create content that could damage your reputation. Your PR team should be aware of how to spot fake news and what to do about it if it occurs.
Workplace violence
Workplace violence can be defined as any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening or disruptive behavior. Unfortunately, this is one of the most common crises that organizations have faced for decades. This can range from verbal abuse by customers to shootings in the workplace.
PR Readiness
Prepare your PR team by improving their digital communication skills. Use a social media listening tool to keep your finger on the pulse of employee and customer sentiment. Work closely with other teams, such as HR, IT, and marketing. Create a crisis communication strategy to follow, if one of these issues arises.
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